Once Upon A Time: The Kingdom of Camelot
by OUATKing
Summary: As the town of Storybrooke recovers from the reign of evil that the Queens of Darkness had unleashed upon them, a new chapter unfolds to tell the story of how a savior and a legendary king will unite to defeat one of the most powerful evils to ever step foot in Storybrooke and to return everyone's happy endings.
1. Fate Sealed In Stone

**Once Upon A Time: The Kingdom of Camelot **

_On the outskirts of the kingdom of Camelot, a noble steed raced through the rolling hills, carrying with it, a knight who had received urgent news from a nearby realm. The knight commanded the horse to race faster down the mountainside, demanding his faster return to his kingdom, all the while questioning how to tell the news he had to the people of Camelot. The horse slowed once reaching the outside walls of the kingdom. _

_"He's here! He's back!" One of the guards shouted from atop the castle walls. _

_"Raise the gates!" Another shouted, signaling the guards to allow permission into the realm. _

_The gates to Camelot rose and the knight and his horse proceeded through, racing through the village marketplace, heading towards the grand castle that overlooked the entire village. The castle stood beautiful, ornate with its strong stone structure, in the center of the kingdom for all to see. When the knight arrived at the steps of the castle, he leapt off of his horse and ran to the drawbridge that led to the grand entrance of the castle. _

_The knight took long strides up the castle steps, a long maroon cape billowing behind him. The knight wasn't the tallest man and while he had muscle on him, he wasn't the most built man in the kingdom, but he moved swiftly and surely. _

_The knight entered into the great hall, where an elderly man turned to him, greeting the king. The elderly man had a long white beard that stretched down to the center of his chest and wore light grey robes that cascaded down his form. _

_"Arthur? My boy, you've returned! Is it true? Are the stories true?" _

_The young king held his side, quickly catching his breath and running a hand through his brunette hair, pushing the sweat that had formed away. "Merlin, yes, they're true. This is happening. We have to warn the kingdom and prepare ourselves. We don't know what will happen to this land...or any of us for that matter." _

_"What do we say to the people?" The elderly wizard asked, following the king down the great hall. _

_He turned to the older man, unsure, stuttering of what to say. "We tell them to prepare for the worst." _

_Merlin stopped in his tracks. _

_Arthur shouted, "Gather the round table!" He unsheathed his sword from his holster. The majestic, beautiful blade of Excalibur - a blade fit for any ruler. "We must prepare ourselves immediately!" _

Chapter One - Fate Sealed In Stone

7:14:58

7:14:59

7:15:00 A.M.

"Good morning, Henry!" Mary Margaret cheered from the stairs.

"Hey kid, happy birthday!" His mother playfully nudged the kid from his sleep.

"Mom, let me sleep."

Emma smiled. "What the heck happened to you? Come on, kid. It's your birthday. You should be ecstatic."

He rolled over in his bed, "If it's my birthday, does that mean I can skip out on school for the day?"

"Afraid not, kid." She turned away from him, heading down the stairs. "Come on."

Emma and Mary Margaret went downstairs in their apartment, where David was in the kitchen, gently rocking baby Neal back and forth in his arms, trying to hush the crying child.

"Is the birthday boy up for his big day?" David turned to his wife.

"Almost." She turned to face back up towards Henry's room. "Come on, Henry! We're leaving for Granny's!" She turned and paced through the kitchen. "Okay, pencils, folders, ugh, I thought that I would be prepared to return to teaching...but I am in over my head. Are you sure you'll be alright with the baby?"

"We'll be fine. You enjoy your first day back at school. Trust me, we will be fine." He smiled.

"Are you sure? If you want, I can-"

"Relax, mom. I think he's got it." Emma turned towards the door.

Mary Margaret turned back. "Okay. Okay, you're right. You'll be okay. But if-"

"Have a good day at school." David cut her off, kissing her and smiling.

Emma smiled, "Come on, kid. Let's go!"

* * *

Mr. Gold was behind the counter in his shop, examining an ancient metal found from a distant kingdom called Prydain. He closely examined the metal through a magnifying glass.

Over the past several weeks, his heart had been heavy from the distance that had formed between Belle and him. He admitted to himself, though, that he deserved the way that she had reacted to him lying to her about the fake dagger and starting their marriage together on the foundation of a lie. When Belle drove him out of Storybrooke, he was devastated, but some time apart could be just what he needed to get his mind in place and to give Belle the space she needed.

Mr. Gold had returned to Storybrooke, but kept "how" to do so a secret just for himself. Now determined to get his happy ending, he formed an alliance with the Queens of Darkness - Maleficent, Cruella and Ursula - each of them determined to get their own happy ending and finally conquer over the heroes that had always blocked their path to happiness. When Belle saw how her husband had affiliated with the witches, it caused an even greater strain to grow between their marriage and Gold knew that he would never have his happy ending without Belle being a part of it. He abandoned the witches to their own devices and started to work on being a better man.

Though getting Belle to notice this was truly the difficult part.

With the witches' defeat days earlier, things had finally started to settle down in Storybrooke, which was a welcome change for everyone in Storybrooke. Though, as the residents of this small town knew, quiet days do not last very often.

Gold looked up from his work when he heard the bell at the entrance of the shop and saw Belle walk into the shop.

"Belle? What are you doing here?"

She stammered a bit, not having really talked to her husband recently and then suddenly felt nervous being alone with him for the first time in awhile. From her satchel, she presented him with his dagger with a stern expression on her face. "Here, I wanted you to have this back. You know that I don't feel right holding onto it...especially now."

"I...I understand."

"And I wouldn't want anyone else getting their hands on it or controlling you, so I know that you would take care of it. And it really is yours, power and magic and all."

He sighed, "Belle, I'm really trying to be a better man...for you and for myself. When the Wicked Witch took control of this dagger, I thought that I would spend the rest of my life under her control. I was terrified. Fear...took over my mind."

Belle's expression softened a bit as he listened to her husband speak.

"The moment I was freed from her command, I never wanted to let anyone take control of me again, but being so focused on being in control of myself and being able to keep my power only caused me to regress - becoming the monster I tried so hard to prevent from breaking through. I am what I always have been, a coward."

She sighed and looked down at the dagger. "You're...you're not a monster, Rumple."

"No, I am. At least I was. And still, after everything that I've done, how I've lied to you, you still believe that there's something good in me somewhere. You...deserve so much more than a monster that would betray you."

She took hold of his hand, the first physical touch that they had shared in weeks. "Rumple, you're trying to be a better man now. I want to see you succeed. You've been honest with yourself about who you were and the mistakes you've made, but now you can focus on re-building who you are."

Rumple smiled when she turned away from him, heading towards the door.

She opened the door at the entrance of the shop and turned back to him. "Rumple, I know that Neal would proud of you for doing this."

Rumple nodded, looking down at the dagger.

* * *

Emma and Mary Margaret walked through the entrance of Granny's Diner, where Henry followed behind them. Regina looked up from her table at her son when they walked through. She got up from her table and walked over to her son, embracing him.

"Henry, happy birthday."

"Thanks, mom." Henry smiled at her.

She looked in-between Emma and Snow. "So, what are we doing to celebrate the occasion."

Mary Margaret answered, "We thought a get together here would be nice."

"Of course, as if I hadn't had enough of this woman's lasagna." Regina and Granny quickly exchanged glances from across the room.

"It's fine, mom. I'm just happy to be celebrating my birthday with my family in the first place."

Emma smiled at him, "Come on, kid. Let's get some breakfast and head out." She led him over to the counter top. "Hey Ruby, two hot chocolates with cinnamon, please."

Mary Margaret turned to Regina, "So, how are you holding up?"

Regina cocked her head to the side, "And what part of my life is this referring to?"

Mary Margaret tilted her head, "You know what I'm talking about Regina. Finding your own happy ending."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Well...I don't necessarily think it's impossible anymore, but it certainly isn't proving to be easy."

"The journey to get to your happy ending is rarely ever easy."

Regina smirked, "You should know, your entire path to get your happy ending was filled with obstacles, primarily me."

"Yes and it was all worth it. And yours will be, too."

Regina sighed, "I hope so. I went about this all wrong. Finding the author...proved useless. He can't change the outcomes of the stories and yet, he can place his own story into the book?"

Mary Margaret smiled, "I never would have guessed that August was the author."

"I'm not surprised. He was elusive the moment he came into Storybrooke. But still, my entire plan crashed when I found that he was the author. It's not like I can just go to a kid and beg them for my happiness."

"So, then what are you going to do?" she questioned.

Emma stared at the two talking from the counter.

Regina shook her head, crossing her arms. "I don't know. I can't just hope that a happy ending can be given to me...and I can't change the past or rely on a book or an author to do that for me. It's on my shoulders to make it happen."

Mary Margaret nodded, "And Robin?"

She looked away, "Maybe some happy endings just aren't meant to be."

* * *

In her vault tucked away beneath the Storybrooke cemetery, Regina intensely studied Henry's storybook, quickly flipping through the pages.

"I figured I'd find you down here." Emma entered into the main room of the vault.

She looked up from the book, almost surprised. "What are you doing here? I thought you were taking Henry to school?"

"I did, but I also couldn't help but hear the conversation you were having with my mother back at Granny's."

Regina raised her eyebrow, "You couldn't help? Sounds like you have the same traits as your mother of having a fondness of getting herself involved in things she's not supposed to."

"Regina, I'm here to help. What's the matter?"

She sighed, "It's this book. We know who created it, but...there's still so many more mysteries to it. It just appeared in your mother's closet when Henry needed it, it chronicles all of our lives up until the moment the Dark Curse hit, there are hundreds of books with empty pages in that mansion on the edge of town...and a picture of Robin and I kissing, which had never happened."

Emma raised her eyebrow, "This book sounds like it has a few more secrets to uncover."

"Oh, this is more than just a book. When I cast the Dark Curse, the thought never crossed my mind that this book would ever come into existence...and yet here it is."

Regina flipped to the end of the book, a chapter with a picture of her casting the Dark Curse. "The author wasn't the only mystery to this book."

"And what do you think that means?"

She flipped the page, showing an image of David putting a newborn Emma into the magical wardrobe. "I'm not too sure, but, I have always been painted as a villain in this book, which, I was, but that's in the past."

Emma took a hold of the book, "Henry and I burned this pages years ago...back when I first came to town when he thought that you were...evil. How are they back in the book?"

Regina examined the page, "That's just it! It's like the book has a life of its' own, like it's finding ways to correct itself. To set things back to the way that they were supposed to happen."

Regina and Emma flipped the page to a picture of the Dark Curse engulfing Snow White's kingdom.

* * *

_The knights gathered around the Round Table with their attention focused on Arthur and Merlin. They were intensely discussing the fate of their kingdom and the current dilemma that Camelot and other kingdoms within the Enchanted Forest were facing. _

_"It's coming. The Dark Curse is ripping its' way through the Enchanted Forest as we speak. It is unstoppable." Arthur warned the knights. _

_"What should we do?" Gareth, one of the knights called out. _

_Another knight, Lionel, questioned, "Maybe Lancelot will be of some help?" _

_"Don't be foolish! Show some respect to the king. Lancelot will be of no assistance." Agravain called out. _

_Arthur replied, "It's alright, Agravain. We have more pressing concerns than Lancelot right now." _

_"The curse really cannot be stopped? Maybe it can be broken?" _

_"How? We don't even know what will happen to us once the curse hits. And as much as I enjoy giving my time to go on a quest to break a curse, we don't have the time. It's already too late. There's no stopping it. It's hopeless." Arthur commented darkly, lowering his head. _

_Gareth placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder, "My liege, are you certain the curse has been cast?" _

_"Yes, I have received a message from a queen from a nearby kingdom. She's a loyal friend. She would not extend the warning unless she was absolutely certain that this threat was serious." _

_"Then it really is hopeless." Lionel replied, defeated. _

_Ector turned to Merlin, "Merlin, what of your magic? Surely, it's strong enough to repel such a spell." _

_Merlin scratched his forehead, before running his hands through his beard. "I am not certain. A curse powerful enough to rip everyone from this land - that's powerful magic, too powerful to be stopped completely. Unless..." _

_Arthur looked up at the elderly wizard, "Unless? Unless, what? Merlin? What is it?" He replied urgently. _

_"A protection spell - one powerful enough to protect all of Camelot. I learned such a powerful spell from a devious wizard from a distant land. If the spell is strong enough, it should...protect all of Camelot and have the curse wash over us...enabling us to escape the afflictions of the curse." _

_"And what is to happen to the kingdom? And to us?" Lamorak questioned. _

_Merlin closed his eyes, "Everything within the perimeter of the protection spell will remain frozen. Time will stop...and the surrounding lands will be destroyed. I cannot determine if Camelot is even fully safe from such a powerful curse." _

_Gareth turned to Arthur, "Then what should we do, my liege?" _

_Arthur rose from his seat at the table. "Noble knights, we must warn the kingdom of what is to happen. We move out immediately. Merlin, will you be able to control such a spell." _

_The older wizard nodded and warned, "Yes, my boy, but we must act fast. I can sense a powerful force making its' way towards the falls of Avalon. We must move." _

_From within the sleeve of his cloak, Merlin revealed a silver wand, shimmering and bright._

* * *

"As we build our birdhouses, remember, what we're making is a home, not a cage. Birds are free and will do what they will." Mary Margaret walked through the classroom heading towards the window, gently holding a blue bird in her hands. The students watched as their teacher made their way towards the open window.

"This for them, not us. They're loyal creatures." She let the bird fly from her hand, heading towards a nearby tree right outside of the classroom. She turned around, facing the classroom.

"If you love them and they love you, they will always find you."

The school bell rang concluding lessons for the day. The students began rising from their seats and packing their bags.

"We'll pick this up in our next class. No running!"

The students made their way out of the classroom, just as David came into the room, carrying the baby. "I think you have a visitor."

Mary Margaret turned to him, kissing him, "What are you doing here?"

"I figured your son would like to congratulate you on your first day back at school."

She smiled and took the baby from him, gently rocking him. "Oh, thank you! How's my little boy?"

"He's not any worse than when you left him. The apartment is still standing and he hasn't been placed under a curse, so I think my first day of father-son bonding was a success. How was your first day of school?"

She let out a slightly exasperated sigh, "I forgot that dealing with thirty kids at once can be a bit...much to handle, but I'm hanging in there." She weakly smiled.

"Don't stress yourself out." He gently kissed her cheek.

"Ha, well with raising a newborn, being a teacher and involuntarily becoming mayor of the town, I don't think I can be any more stressed out than I am right now."

"You'll be fine. I believe in you."

"Thank you."

David started to make his way towards the door with the baby. "I'm actually here to pick up Henry and take him to Gold's for work. Would you like to come?"

She sighed, taking a seat at her desk. "I wish I could, but I have meetings and work here at school that I have to take care of. I'm sorry."

He smiled, "It's okay, just make sure you make it to Granny's tonight."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't miss his birthday for the world." She smiled, watching her husband and baby walking out of the classroom. Her smile fell slightly, realizing that, with the amount of work that she had taken on, the amount of time she had to spend with her family had dwindled. She sighed, saddened that she had missed out on quality time with her family, before resuming rummaging through her desk to file papers.

Mary Margaret, still hard at work at her desk in her classroom, let out a heavy sigh, looking out of the classroom window, seeing the sun just starting to set. She was taken by surprise by the sudden knock on the door on the opposite side of the room, seeing Belle walk through.

"Belle? What are you doing here?" She rose up from her desk.

She approached her, a slightly concerned look on her face. "I'm sorry to bother you, Mary Margaret. I really needed someone to talk to, someone that could understand."

"Of course, what is it? Is everything alright?" She and Belle both took a seat at a pair of desks next to each other.

"You and David...well, if you don't mind me being blunt by asking, how does it work?"

Mary Margaret shook her head, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, as a couple. It seems that, no matter what challenges the two of you face as a couple, you always seem to find a way to overcome it."

Mary Margaret tilted her head to the side, "Belle, is this about Rumplestiltskin?"

She sighed heavily and confessed, "Yes. For the longest time, I thought that we were in love and happy, but after all of the obstacles that Rumple and I have faced together, we...I just find it so difficult to get past this one. How do we get through this?"

Mary Margaret placed one of her hands on her friend's, "Belle, it's understandable, it really is. Finding love...keeping love, it can be a very difficult thing to do. David and I have been through so much together - curses, false memories, evil sorceresses and everything in-between."

"Rumple and I have been through the same. What keeps you and David finding your way back to each other?"

The ebony-haired woman smiled, "Love and honesty. We know that, regardless of what happens, our love is strong and nothing can break it."

Belle thought for a moment and nodded, "Well, I loved Rumple, there's not a doubt that I still do, I just find it so difficult to trust him again, after how he's deceived me in the past."

"Do you ever think that you could trust him again?"

"I know that I could, but it's all dependent on his actions. He has always chosen power over love, but it seems like power has only brought him more pain than anything. He's just so unwilling to let go of that power. You know, there was this moment, back when I was a maid at his castle in our land, where we kissed...and I could see it for the first time, he looked like a man in love and the Dark One curse began to break, he started to look like an ordinary man again, but he pulled away."

"And what does that tell you?"

"That, maybe, what he really needs is someone to love and someone who can love him, regardless of how difficult it might be, but I'm not anyone walk over me anymore, even if it is someone I love."

Mary Margaret smiled, "Well, it seems to me that you just answered your own question. You need to stay strong and he needs to figure out what's really most important to him."

"I just want to see the changed man that I know he can be...and maybe, we can both get a happy ending, too."

"I'm sure that you can."

Belle gave a small smile and hugged the woman next to her, "Thanks, Mary Margaret. You're a loyal friend."

"Of course, Belle. Just...have hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."

* * *

Mr. Gold walked about his shop, examining one of the many artifacts that he had stored behind the counter. All the while, a figure peered into the store from one of the front windows, intently staring at Gold's every move, never being detected by the store owner. The figure stepped away from the building.

* * *

Emma parked her yellow buggy in the sheriff's parking spot outside of the Sheriff Station, before heading inside. She walked into the main office area, where her desk and a pair of jail cells was set.

"Hello, love."

Emma smiled to herself, knowingly, before turning around to spot Hook in one of the open jail cells.

"Killian."

He raised his eyebrow and smiled at her.

"Is there a reason why I should be putting you inside one of these cells?"

"Only to make sure that you'd keep your eyes on me all day, not that I have any doubt that you wouldn't." He smirked and walked out of the cell, waling towards the blonde woman. He grabbed her waist, pulling her closely to him, before placing a kiss on her lips. She smiled sweetly she pulled away.

"Unfortunately for you, being the sheriff of the town, I don't have the leisure of being able to stare at your pretty face all day."

Hook sighed, "What now? Storybrooke is at ease ever since Maleficent has been disposed of."

She took a seat at her desk, pushing her hair back. "We both know that these moments don't last forever. Between giants destroying the town, wicked witches, snow queens turning others against one another, whenever one challenge is out of the way, another always shows up. I have to be ready."

Hook placed his hands on her shoulders. Emma instinctively reached up to hold one of his hands. "Swan, no one works harder than you to protect your family and Storybrooke. What's the harm of taking some time to enjoy yourself when things are at peace?"

"Killian..."

"There's no way to prepare for what you don't know what will happen, so why stress about it until it actually does?"

Emma started to speak, but found herself stopping. He was right. As much as she wanted to prepare herself for the next hurdle that they would have to cross, what could she really do? Instead, she would spend this time worrying about their next obstacle instead of enjoying this peaceful time with her family and her friends.

She sighed and got up from her seat, taking hold of his hands. "I...you're right. I just...I want to make sure that Henry can have a good life here...that everyone can, without any evil sorcerers or monsters. The world's a dangerous place and I want to protect my kid as much as I possibly can. Being the savior, having to bring back everyone's happy endings, it seems impossible for just one person to achieve."

Hook smiled, stepping closer to her. "Well, Swan, if there's anything I know about you, it's that you are very much capable of achieving the impossible."

Emma leaned closer to him, "And whatever challenges might come our way, we'll fight them...together."

She slowly pressed her lips against his, gently gripping onto the collar of his jacket, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Let's just hope our next crisis isn't anytime soon."

* * *

_Arthur watched from the tall castle tower, as his knights quickly traveled throughout the kingdom, informing all of the villagers of the Dark Curse's approach and how Merlin would do his best to protect the kingdom from the afflictions of such a powerful curse. It was times like this when the kingdom would need Arthur the most and yet, he couldn't find himself leaving his chambers to offer comfort to the townspeople. In all actuality, he was terrified himself and didn't know what to do that would calm the nerves of his people. _

_Merlin entered his room, "Arthur, the knights have reached the far end of the kingdom. The villagers know that the Dark Curse is coming. If you don't appeal to them soon, then-" _

_"I can't do it." Arthur shook his head, "I'm no leader. I'm no king. I don't even know how to properly comfort my people in the times when they need it most - instead I send my knights to do the work that I should be doing." _

_The old wizard stepped forwards, "Arthur, don't be ridiculous. You pulled the sword of Excalibur from the stone - a feat only accomplishable by the true ruler of Camelot! You are our rightful king." _

_"Merlin, you and I both know that I am no king. I may have ruled this past few years now, but what do I have to show for it? Ever since I became king, I've done nothing to lead my people, I've lost love, I've let Camelot fall to ruin - being king isn't what I expected it to be. I have no experience with castles and knights...or protecting kingdoms from curses. All I did was...pull this lousy piece of metal from a rock." He slumped down onto the edge of his bed, defeated, dropping Excalibur to the floor. _

_"Arthur..." _

_"Maybe it would be best if we let the Dark Curse take over Camelot. At least in whatever world we end up in, these people wouldn't have to look to me as their king. I would just be any ordinary person there." _

_Merlin sat down beside the young man, "Arthur, you are so much more than that. I've known that ever since I started looking after you when your mother died. I've known from the beginning that you were special, my boy, but you know that giving up you throne would be denying who you really are. You know you are better and more courageous than that." _

_Arthur placed his head on the old wizard's shoulder, "Merlin, I'm...scared." _

_"I know, I know." The old wizard placed an arm around the boy. _

_"What if this protection spell doesn't work and we are swept away to this new world? What if we are separated? You've raised me for as long as I can remember - I wouldn't know what to do without you guiding me." _

_"Arthur, you've grown up so quickly. It feels as though your childhood passed in a moment and you've suddenly become this young man when I didn't even notice. All I've ever wanted was to raise you well and protect you from the dangers of the world, but the truth is, there will come a day where I will not be here to protect you." _

_The young man's eyes started to lower, hiding the tears that had formed. "I know, Merlin. And that's what scares me about me being alone." _

_The wizard embraced the king. "Arthur, I can assure you that you will never be alone. The world is dark and wild - it will be filled with many dangers, temptations and terrors, but by risking everything to face the fears that you speak of, you will discover just how strong you really are." _

_The wizard placed his hand on the young man's brunette hair. _

_"Heroes don't exist because they win against the villains, they are made when they face and overcome the fears that stop them from achieving greatness. I know you might be frightened if this curse carries us away, but you will find a way to survive, even if it is without me by your side." _

_Arthur pulled away from the embrace and rose to his feet, picking up Excalibur from the floor. _

_"Where are you going?" Merlin called out. _

_"I'm going to be with my people." Arthur turned towards the door. "You're right. I can't let fear stop me from being the person that I know I can be - and I'm going to prove that to my people and to you." _

_Merlin smiled, "My boy, you already have." _

_Arthur smiled, placing Excalibur over his shoulder. "Let's move out. I have a kingdom to protect."_

* * *

Dusk had fallen and most of the town had gathered at Granny's to celebrate Henry's birthday. A banner for Henry hung on one of the walls of the diner. All of Henry's family had gathered, as well as the seven dwarfs, a few of Henry's friends from school and a few of the other residents of Storybrooke.

Sitting at one of the booths of the diner, Henry, Emma and Regina were sitting eating their dinner. Mary Margaret and David came through the door carrying their baby and walked over to the table after placing Henry's gift at the table at the back of the room.

"Hey, grandma and grandpa. You made it." Henry looked up from his food.

David smiled, letting him and Mary Margaret take a seat at the booth. "Yes, sorry it took so long. Remind me to always leave the gift-wrapping to my wife because I am not cut out for it."

Regina looked back at the table of presents and noticed David's crumpled gift-wrapping. "Ugh, you should stick to shepherding."

"So, when can we start opening presents?" Henry asked, excitedly.

Emma placed an arm on his shoulder, "Whoa, slow down, kid. Party just started, you'll have all night to open your gifts."

At that moment, Hook walked into the diner, walking over the booth and placing his hand on Henry's shoulder. "Happy birthday, lad."

Henry looked up at him, "Thanks, Killian. Whe-"

"Don't worry, lad. You'll get your present in due time, you don't even have to ask."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Great, eyeliner and fishing lessons. Just what every fourteen year old boy wants."

Hook knelt down next to Emma and kissed her cheek. "Good evening, love. Care for a drink?"

"Uhh...I think I'll pass on the drink, but a cup of coffee would be just fine."

"I'm on it." He winked at her before turning around to the counter. As he made his way over to one of the stools, he noticed Mr. Gold sitting at one of the tables in the corner by himself. They had made eye contact for a brief moment, before he looked away. They had not spoken at all since Gold had attempted to crush his heart and needless to say, Hook was shocked when the Dark One had returned to Storybrooke. Hook wanted nothing to do with the man anymore. Tensions were high to say the least, and in the small space of Granny's diner, it could be cut through with a knife.

Regardless, Hook was not about to make a scene at Henry's birthday and neither was Gold. They both went about their evening.

Hook caught Granny's attention at the bar, "Two coffees, love."

Granny walked behind the counter, checking her pad filled with different orders for everyone in the restaurant. "Two coffees, shot of gin?"

"Just one, you know me too well."

Granny set off to prepare the cups of coffee.

While Hook waited at the counter for his drinks to be prepared, Belle, whose was sitting at the counter, turned to him.

"Hey, Hook..."

Hook was almost surprised to have heard Belle talk to him. They had quite a history together, and not a good one.

"Belle, it's been some time. I haven't seen you since...well...since..."

"Since Rumple tried to separate himself from the dagger, I know." Bell nodded and shrugged, looking away from him for a second, quickly looking at Gold and then turning back to Hook. "That's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about, actually..."

Hook took a sit at the bar. "Do tell."

"Has Rumple apologized to you at all for what happened?" Belle asked, concerned.

He looked slightly astonished. "You're asking...if the Dark One apologized...to me?"

Belle nodded her head, in slight hope, but she could tell by Hook's tone, her question seemed a bit ridiculous to even ask.

"Belle, Rumplestiltskin and I haven't spoken since you banished him, I doubt he would be one to apologize, especially to me.

She sighed, placing her arms on the counter. "Well...he's going to have to rise above that and offer you one."

Hook turned his head to her surprised, "Wait, what? Why?"

"He used your heart and enslaved you to him. He more than anybody should have known what being controlled by another should feel like. If he really wants to become a better man in the future, he needs to redeem himself for the mistakes he made in the past. One of those happens to involve you."

"You're really serious about this?"

She let out a small laugh. "You sound surprised."

"I am. After how I tried to hurt both, you and Rumple-"

"Tried to kill, both you and Rumple." Belle corrected.

A small smile grew on Hook's lips. "Tried to kill both you and Rumple, you're still willing to help someone who hurt you. You even saved my life...and I don't think I ever thanked you for it."

She laughed, "Typically, I don't think it's common practice to thank the woman who's husband tried to kill you."

Granny walked back up to Hook with the two drinks.

Hook took the cups and turned to Belle, "Well, in that case, I'm sorry for hurting you and thank you for saving my life." He took one of the cups and clinked it with Belle's glass, before walking away from the counter.

Belle laughed to herself before taking hold of her empty glass. Ruby walked over to her from the other side of the counter.

"Another?" Ruby asked, slightly concerned for Belle.

"Yes, please." Belle moved the glass closer towards her friend. "I have to thank you and Granny for letting me stay at the Inn."

"Of course, Belle. We're always willing to help out a friend." She began cleaning up a bit behind the counter. "I get it, you're going through a rough patch, you need some space to yourself. What better way to have that than to move in with your best gal friend and her grandmother?"

Belle laughed, "I guess you could say that. I do need my space for myself and...I think I need time for myself to grow as a person without constantly being with or worrying about someone."

Ruby smiled, "Well, take your time. Feel free to stay with us as long as you'd like."

"Thank you." Belle smiled sweetly.

At this point of the evening, Mr. Gold had decided to get up and leave. He wasn't talking to anyone, he was sitting in the corner by himself and he felt incredibly awkward being in the same space with Belle and a man he had tried to kill, he felt that it was time to go. He got up from his seat and walked out. He made his way down the steps outside of the door, before hearing the door swing open behind him.

"Where are you going?" David called out.

"I'm leaving."

"And your missing your grandson's birthday party?"

Gold turned back to David, "I showed up, didn't I?"

"That's not the point and you know it." David crossed his arms, defensively.

"It doesn't matter, I'm going home."

As Gold continued walking away, David called out to him. "You'll never do it like this."

Gold stopped and turned back to him, "Excuse me?"

David stood his ground, "Change. You'll never convince anyone that you're a better man if you continue to run away from your problems. It's no secret to anyone in Storybrooke that you're trying to turn over a new lead, you know."

Gold stepped towards him, angry. "And you think I'm running away?"

"Isn't that what you're doing right now?"

Gold stepped up right in front of him, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. David's constant questioning almost drove him to want to incinerate the man for a moment, but then, after thinking through it some more, Gold realized that David was right. He was running away from his problems again instead of confronting them.

Gold let out a sigh, "Yes. I'm...I'm running. I'm scared. I don't know where to start. I don't know where to start on putting power aside, or how to apologize to the people I've hurt or how to make Belle take me back."

David corrected him, "Well, for a start, don't make Belle do anything."

"You know what I meant. Working to be a better man...is far more difficult than you think it would be."

David continued, "What did you think it would be easy and you wouldn't have to work for it? Gold, the truth is, you've had your power for too long that now, you don't even know how to live without it being a priority. But you're going to have to learn...or you might never be with Belle again."

"And that's what scares me the most. Magic and power has always been a priority and, when it comes down to it, I have always chosen my power over everything, but these past couple of weeks have been...hell. I can't lose Belle."

David sighed and placed his hand on Gold's shoulder, "Well, to do that, you're going to have to decide what's really important, Gold and you're going to have to work like hell to make sure that she knows it, too."

"Thank you." Gold said, continuing to walk away.

"And Gold," David called out, "when it comes to Belle, you have to remind her what made the two of you fall in love in the first place."

Gold continued walking down Main Street, heading back towards his shop, when he spotted a figure shrouded in the shadows sneak around the corner of his shop. Moments later, the sound of glass shattering from the back of Gold's pawn shop was heard. Gold quickly made his way down the sidewalk, ready to confront the intruder.

* * *

_The Dark Curse quickly raced towards Camelot. The dark clouds rushed forward, rampaging through the lands, destroying everything within its' path and swallowing the surrounding kingdoms in its' darkness. As the clouds rushed forward, a great rumbled was heard, as the earth trembled with each flash of green lightning that blasted forth from the curse. _

_On the edge of Avalon Falls, Arthur and Merlin stood, carefully watching the menacing, dark clouds race towards Camelot. From within his sleeve, Merlin revealed his majestic wand, silver in color, shining radiantly. Merlin lifted his wand up towards the sky. _

_Arthur averted his eyes from the curse and looked towards the older wizard. "Are you certain that this is going to work?" _

_"Yes. It will take a lot of magic, but this protection spell will protect Camelot from being carried over to this new land. Everyone within our borders will be spared." _

_With a wave of his wand, the magical artifact begin sparkling brightly. Merlin focused all of his powers into casting this spell and soon enough, a ray of light shot upwards for miles into the sky. The ray of light suddenly exploded outward, forming a bubble that completely surrounded the kingdom. The dark curse reached the barrier and was quickly repelled away, causing the curse clouds to completely pass over the shield surrounding the kingdom. Arthur and Merlin watched as the sky was blacked by the dark clouds that surrounded the protective barrier. _

_"It looks like the spell is working. What will happen to our land while the other nearby kingdoms will be taken?" _

_Merlin turned to him, "We will be...frozen. For 28 years, time will stop and we, everyone in Camelot, will remain frozen in time." _

_"28 years?" Arthur asked, surprised. _

_"Yes, but our lives will resume again when the Savior breaks this curse. And she will do it." _

_"The Savior?" _

_"Yes. The one who shall restore all of the happy endings and save all of us." _

_Arthur looked up towards the sky, watching the curse clouds pass over them. "How will she be able to? We will be worlds apart." _

_"I cannot say for sure. What I do know is that - you and the Savior must use Excalibur to restore order in the world and defeat the greatest of evils - only the two of you can do this. That is why it is so important that you never lose sight of that blade, my boy." _

_Arthur looked down at the sword of Excalibur in his hand and spoke upon realization. "Excalibur...with this blade and the Savior's powers..." _

_"Yes, Arthur. You can accomplish great things." _

_Arthur looked at Merlin. "Even defeat...her?" _

_Merlin nodded, "Only you and the Savior will be able to stop her from enslaving all of us to become victims to her evil desires. Only you can stop..." _

_With that, the two of them froze, as the Dark Curse engulfed the surrounding lands._

* * *

The mysterious figure stuck their hand through the broken window of the door, unlocking the door to Mr. Gold's shop, as they quickly made their way to the main room of the store, looking through all of the objects and artifacts that Gold had kept in his shop. He went behind the counter and continued his search, but with so many objects crowding the small space, it became difficult to find this very specific object. Then, tucked away behind the counter, on a desk in the corner of the store, he found it - a rack containing several wands, but not the one he was looking for.

"Hello, old friend." Mr. Gold walked out from the back room. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Merlin looked up from the case, "Rumplestiltskin. What are you doing here?"

"Well, it is my shop. I could ask the same for you, having escaped the first Dark Curse, I never thought I'd see you again."

Merlin approached the man, "It was the second curse that hit the Enchanted Forest that brought me to Storybrooke. Arthur, too."

Gold smirked, and turned his back towards him. "Ah, still failing to protect the boy, I see."

"That's why I need your help."

Gold turned back, staring at Merlin by the wand rack. "Oh, having a little trouble with magic, are we? Some time ago, I recall you saying that you were the superior practitioner of magic, did you not?"

"Rumple, you started that foolish feud between us. We both did and said things that we regret."

Gold smiled, "And yet, here you are, coming back to the deceitful Dark One for help when you were so certain that you were better off."

Merlin stepped towards him, "Rumple, please. My magic was taken from me. I need it to save Arthur."

Gold begin examining some of the artifacts kept around his shop. "And what unfortunate predicament have you put him in now?"

"He's trapped... beneath the clock tower. He needs to be freed."

Gold let out a laugh. "By freeing him, you'd be sending him straight to his death. You'd be willing to do that to him? You realize that that pesky little curse didn't just bring the two of you this town. You have enemies here, Merlin, and no amount of magic wand waving will be able to change that."

Merlin stopped him, "I know she's here, but that is exactly why I need to free him. It is just as you told me long ago when he was a boy. He and Emma will be the only ones that can save Storybrooke when the time comes. Please Rumple, I need your help."

Gold raised his eyebrow, "Well..." In a flash, Merlin's wand materialized in his hand. "how can I say 'no' to the only friend I've ever had."

Merlin cautiously took the wand from him. "There's a long history between the two of us. You don't give favors. There's always a price with you."

"Consider this, a friend making amends for the past. But using magic comes with a price, dearie, one that you will eventually have to pay."

Merlin made his way towards the door. "I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that Arthur is safe. Thank you, Rumple." The old wizard exited the shop and vanished into the streets of Storybrooke, as Rumple carefully watched him.

* * *

Emma, Mary-Margaret with the baby, David, Henry and Hook walked up the steps to their apartment. Emma looked down at Henry. "So, kid, you have a good birthday?"

"Yeah, it was the best. Thanks, mom."

"Anytime, kid."

David unlocked the door to the apartment, letting the others in.

"Swan..." Hook spoke, causing Emma to stop in the doorway and turn around to face him.

Emma turned back inside to her parents, "Just a sec, guys." She closed the door behind her and turned around to face Killian.

Killian walked up to her, cupping her cheek with his hand, gently kissing her. "Goodnight, love."

Emma looked up at him, "Why such a rush to get back to Granny's? I think you've seen enough of that place, haven't you?"

Hook smiled, "Ah, well, at least I have a comfortable room there. I owe Granny one."

"Half the town does. I don't know how that woman does it." She laughed.

Hook scratched the back of his head, "And by the looks your father has been passing me all...year long, I think that a night here is out of the question."

Emma's hands went down to Hook's waist. "He's just being protective."

"That's one word for it."

Emma sighed, "Look, I'm sure he'll warm up to you just as you warmed up to me. Eventually."

Hook smiled and looked down. "Hopefully so. I hope that your parents know that I wouldn't want to do anything that would ever hurt you."

"They know that, Killian. I know it, too." She pulled him in for another quick kiss, before turning back to the door. When she made it to the doorway, she turned back to him. "And Killian, maybe it's time I started looking for my own place."

"Oh?"

"And if you behave, maybe you'll be lucky enough to stay the night," Emma whispered to him. Hook smiled as Emma closed the door on him.

"So, what was that all about?" Mary Margaret spoke.

Emma turned around, wide-eyed. "Gyah, how long were you standing there?"

Mary Margaret smiled, "Long enough to know that you want to find your own place."

"And that you think I'm an overprotective father, which is not true."

"You are the epitome of an over-protective father." Mary Margaret corrected.

"I am not." David stated.

"I don't really think it's a big deal." Emma shrugged.

"Right, so moving on." Mary Margaret steered the conversation back to her next topic. "You really want your own place?"

"Well,...yeah, I do." Emma stated, honestly, not wanting to hurt her parents feelings. "Look, I know we don't have the most traditional parent-child relationship. I mean, we're the same age and have equal amounts of experiences. And I know that we were separated for awhile, but..."

"We get it." Mary Margaret stopped her. "You're a grown woman. You're completely responsible for your own life. We can't keep you locked inside of this apartment forever."

Emma tilted her head, "You're not mad? Really?"

Mary Margaret sat down at the table, motioning Emma to sit down next to her. "Why would we be mad? I think some extra space would be good for you."

Emma sat down. " i just figured after all the years apart, having your lost child move out of your place might be...a bit emotionally crippling."

David moved next to her and sighed, "Well, we'd miss you here..."

"But it's not like you'd be moving to Neverland, you're just moving across town. We could still spend every day with each other."

"So, you two are really okay with this?"

David smiled, "Emma, we just want you to be happy and if that means getting your own place for you and Henry, then that would make us happy."

Mary Margaret slowly rocked her baby. "And it's not like you haven't had your own place before. And this time Henry would be with you when he's not at Regina's, maybe Hook, too."

"Whoa, slow down, mom."

David agreed, "Yeah, he's not moving in with her."

Emma smiled, "At least not yet."

"Wait, what?"

Mary Margaret smiled, "Regardless Emma, we want what will make you happy. Even if it means getting your own place and even if it means living with a pirate."

Emma shrugged and smiled, "Well then, I guess I should start looking at open leases. It's not like too many exist in a cursed town where no one leaves."

* * *

In her vault, Regina sat down, examining her book, flipping through the pages, wondering about the many mysteries waiting to still be uncovered. The book was finding ways to correct itself and tell the story the way that it should have been told, but how? It was like the book had a life of its' own. Regina flipped to a page in the book to find a picture of herself and Robin Hood kissing, then flipped towards the end of the book to find a picture of herself casting the Dark Curse.

* * *

Belle made her way up towards her room at Granny's Inn. She gently walked down the hallway stopping at her bedroom door when her eye caught sight of something placed at the bottom of her doorway. She knelt down and gently picked up the beautiful red rose. She lightly held onto the stem of the rose, taking in the flower's beauty. She smiled to herself, remembering the last time she had received a rose just like this.

* * *

Merlin quickly walked up towards the Storybrooke Library, taking a look up at the clock, which read 8:15 P.M. The old wizard quickly went inside the library and walked towards the elevator. With a swish of his wand, the elevator automatically began descending downwards, deep beneath the town of Storybrooke. The elevator continued downwards for a few more minutes before coming to a stop at the base of the elevator shaft.

Merlin opened the elevator's gate and walked out into a small tunnel that opened up into a vast cavern. Every step that the wizard took echoed off against the large cavernous walls. He knew that he had to act quickly before he was detected. He walked towards the stone structure that stood at the far end of the cavern. He stood before the stone pillar and brought forth his wand, which shimmered radiantly in the dark cavern.

As he was about to cast a spell, he suddenly felt a searing pain in his chest, right by his heart. He had to act fast before he had missed his opportunity. He pointed his wand towards the stone pillar.

"It is time that you have awoken from your slumber, King Arthur. The fate of Storybrooke lies in your hands."

A small beam of light shot from Merlin's wand towards the stone pillar. With that, Merlin collapsed to the ground, feeling an intense pain around his heart. He was being summoned and had no choice but to leave. Within moments, Merlin had disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Seconds later, the stone pillar began to crack and break, transforming into the figure of a man. The stone continued to break and fall, until Arthur had fully emerged from his transformed state. He crashed to the floor, gasping for breath, bringing the sword of Excalibur down with him. He spent the next several moments catching his breath from his solid statue state.

He then noticed the glimmer of light coming from before him. He slowly staggered to his feet, leaving the cavern. He walked through the tunnel, wondering what far off part of Camelot he was traveling in. The tunnel led up towards the elevator shaft, where Arthur had seen the many strange sources of light coming from the fixtures above him. When he had entered into the elevator, it suddenly started rising, causing Arthur to fall backwards, as the cart quickly lifted him towards the surface.

The young man gulped as he saw the ceiling rising towards him faster and faster. For a moment, he felt as if he was going to die. He had never experienced such a deadly contraption in his life and he wished to never experience it again. He closed his eyes, but just when he thought the end was near, the elevator slowed to a halt. He opened his eyes and saw that the room before him was filled with books.

He cautiously stepped out of the elevator, making his way across the room, towards the door right at the front. He pressed his palm against the door, his other hand firmly grasping onto the ornate handle of Excalibur. He did not know it at the time, but from that moment on, Arthur had completely stepped into a different world and his life would be forever changed.

Before him stood a kingdom unlike any he had ever seen before. The buildings were unlike any castles and villages, the lights were not the familiar lantern candles he had grown accustomed to, the people of the kingdom seemed utterly urban and here he was, completely new to all of it. Although alone, he felt excited and overwhelmed, mystified and curious.

He was certain this was not Camelot.

He curiously read one of the signs on the side of the library.

"Storybrooke..."

Chapter Two: Excalibur

As a lost Arthur arrives in Storybrooke, his confusion drives him to make an enemy out of both David and Hook. Regina makes an enlightening discovery on her journey to uncover the secrets of the book. Rumplestiltskin begins his long travel down the path to win Belle back. Emma's family comes together to help Arthur in lieu of Merlin's mysterious disappearance. In the Camelot of the past, a younger Arthur begins his journey with Merlin to become king when he is challenged by his friend Lancelot to pull a legendary sword from a stone. A dark force lurks within Storybrooke.


	2. Excalibur

Arthur took a step into the strange town, which was blanketed in darkness from the night sky. Not too many residents were out at this time of the night, but the ones he had seen looked so strange, specifically the designs that they were wearing. The people that spotted him didn't know what to make of him, either. Though Storybrooke was an unusual place, it was a bit of a stretch to say that an armored knight took a stroll through Main Street.

Arthur stepped out into the open street, when suddenly, a giant being with two bright eyes came rushing forwards him. The sound of the being was immense and struck fear within him. He froze, wondering how fast this demonic being would kill him, before he acted on instinct and dived out of the way, just narrowly missing the creature.

A couple on the corner of the street watched as Arthur safely dodged the car that was careening towards him.

Afraid and scared, Arthur stumbled onto his feet, gasping for breath. Whatever this Storybrooke was...it was a terrifying place, one unlike any other he had seen before. He darted from the street, behind the series of buildings, wanting to get out of this place as soon as possible. His armor clattered with every step he took as he run, echoing down the alleys of buildings. The town soon began to fade away, as the young king found himself on the edge of the woods.

He slowly sat down next to a fallen tree stump, out of breath. He watched from behind a wall of trees, closely taking a look at the town in the distance. The only source of light that he had was the full moon glowing from the night sky, above.

'This is the dangerous world that Merlin talked about. This...Storybrooke...it is filled with danger.'

Arthur thought to himself, as he brought his legs up to his chest. The peaceful night forest kept his mind off of the danger that he had just faced within moments of entering the town.

Arthur felt terrified and alone.

* * *

_Arthur pulled an axe from a fallen tree, using the sharp blade to cut the oak's branches into logs for firewood._

_Arthur wiped the sweat from his brow as he heaved the sack of chopped wood over his shoulder, leaving the forest and heading back towards the village of Camelot. The young twenty-something had spent most of his days doing small errands throughout the village in hopes of earning a few coins that would barely help Merlin and him get by._

_The king of Camelot had just died and without having had any children of his own, no proper ruler was able to step into the role as king. Instead, many different lords within the castle grounds had tried to fill the position, though none had succeeded, causing unrest within the kingdom._

_Arthur had made it back to the village, waving at some of the women and children that had seen him pass by. He trudged down the dirt path, making his way back to his home. His home was anything but lavish. It was a small hovel on the edge of the village, with a thatched roof and barely enough space for two people to live. He entered into the hovel._

_"My boy, you're back already." Merlin looked up from a book._

_"Yes, I went out to get some firewood to keep our hearth warm tonight. And with the coins I received for taking the flour to the bakery, we might be able to go to market and purchase something to eat with it."_

_"Splendid thought." He closed his book, watching as Arthur had set up the logs in the hearth, starting a small fire. "So, how was the market?"_

_Arthur sighed. "The same as it always is. Always many errands to do for others, very little money to make from them." For the past couple of years, the strain of doing these chores for the little amount of money he was making had started to take its' toll on him._

_"I know, my boy. It's not easy to live each day not knowing if you will eat. And with the kingdom without a ruler, the people of this village are left confused, not knowing what will become of Camelot."_

_"I wonder what that would be like..." Arthur stared into the fire that was starting to form. "To live in a castle and never have to want for anything. It would be a dream surely, servants waiting on you and royal feasts...but why should some get to live in such excessive luxury when others...don't. Still, I wouldn't mind seeing what's behind those castle walls...even if it was just for one night."_

_"Who knows? Perhaps one day, you will. Every lad dreams of owning their own castle."_

_Arthur laughed, "Whoa, Merlin. Not so fast. I can barely fetch a decent sum for thatching someone's roof. I think being the ruler of a kingdom is out of the question at the moment."_

_"Well..." Merlin started._

_The young man rose up from the front of the hearth. "Let me head to market and fetch us something to cook. You stay here and watch the fire." He rose up and went over to his bed, grabbing a dark green shawl and throwing it over his shoulders._

_Merlin raised his eyebrow, "You still have it?"_

_Arthur looked down at his shawl, bringing it up to his face, as if to smell it. "Of course I do. It's the only thing I have of hers to call my own. She wrapped me in this when I was born."_

_The wizard went over to the fire. "You know it will be eighteen years as of tomorrow since your mother had died and I took you in."_

_The young man looked down, saddened. "I know. How could I forget? Growing up without your parents...never knowing their love or being with them, it feels so...alone."_

_Merlin looked up at him. "I just hoped that you could be happy on your birthday."_

_Arthur went towards the door. "I know, I know, but we both know I can't." He walked out of the home and made his way back towards the village, with his coins in hand._

_As he made his way towards the village, a light voice called out behind him._

_"Arthur?"_

_The man stopped in his tracks and turned around recognizing the voice. "Guinevere?"_

_The beautiful young woman with radiant blue eyes and cascading black hair approached him. She was beautiful, beloved by all of Camelot, especially Arthur. "And where are you off to?"_

_"The market to fetch some food for Merlin and I to eat tonight."_

_Guinevere smiled, coyly. "Are you expected back any time soon?"_

_"No. Why?"_

_Guinevere leaned up and pressed her lips against Arthur's, passionately. His hands slipped down to her waist when hers were placed on his shoulders. He pulled back for a second to smile at her, before placing another sweet kiss on her lips._

* * *

Arthur remained huddled between a glade of trees, enjoying the sweet serenity of the night forest, covered in the light glow from the rising full moon. He thought to himself that he would awaken in the morning and then explore this...Storybrooke...in hopes of finding a way back to Camelot.

He was suddenly drawn out of his thoughts when he heard a small snapping sound coming from within the bushes deeper within the forest. From behind a set of trees, a dark wolf emerged, approaching the frightened man.

Arthur froze in complete fear, as he watched the wolf approach him. The man never too his eyes off of the being for a second, in fear that, one small glance away and the creature would attack. Arthur carefully grasped for the hilt of Excalibur, fully knowing that the wolf would be able to attack him and kill him before the young man even had a chance to move. Still, Arthur could not bring himself to attack. He could not move. He was trembling in fear.

Suddenly, a huge tremble shook the earth, causing the trees to rustle, branches and leaves falling from the sky. Arthur looked over, seeing the wolf react to the large quake, before darting off deep into the woods. As the quakes continued, Arthur took cover, as the branches continued falling around him. The quakes grew more violent with each passing second, as Arthur looked to the sky wondering what was happening.

Chapter Two - Excalibur

It was morning and the residents of Storybrooke were recovering from the quakes that shook their small town in the middle of the night. No significant damage was done to the town, but it was rather unusual for the town to face such an unusual disturbance.

Emma got out of her yellow buggy, along with Henry, as they parked on the edge of the street, walking down the sidewalk towards Granny's diner.

"So much for waiting for the next crisis." Emma said under her breath, seeing a fallen power line on one corner and a few fallen street lamps and trees in the middle of the road.

"I don't think earthquakes are very common in Maine." Henry looked up at her.

"I don't think so either, kid. When you grew up here, did you ever witness anything like that?"

"Nope. Though, there was that one time you and Archie rescued me from that sinkhole when we felt those quakes. Maybe it could be something down there? We should go check it out!"

Emma took hold of his shoulder. "Whoa, kid. Slow down. That was extremely dangerous. Besides, you have classes to get to, right?"

Henry sighed and smiled. "Nope, school was cancelled because of the earthquake. Come on, mom. We could work together to see what caused this...or who."

She laughed. "Yeah, I doubt this was caused by anyone, kid. Earthquakes happen naturally. Maybe next time you can help me with a case. We could call it...Operation: Peacock or something."

"I think I'll have to pass on that."

"Come on, let's get to Granny's."

Emma and Henry went inside of the diner and took a seat at one of the booths against the wall. Hook, who had been sitting at the bar, rose up to join them.

"Morning, love. I figured you'd be up early to investigate what caused those quakes last night."

"Yeah, well...there's not much to investigate. Seemed like an average earthquake to me."

Hook sat down next to her. "You know better, love. Nothing ever just happens in this town."

Emma sighed, "So much for enjoying some time off from fighting any battles..."

They were interrupted when Ruby came from the back of the diner. She went over to them at the table.

"Emma, hey."

"Ruby. What's up?"

"I know that the whole town is in a sort of hectic mood because of the quake and what not, and I know it might not be the best time, but last night, I was out for a run in the woods."

Hook raised his eyebrow, "You took a run in the woods in the dark of night?"

"Well, as much as I'd love to have a local run through the streets, I don't think the town would be too happy when they see a wolf dart towards them."

"They'd prefer a wolf to a giant or a wicked witch."

Emma spoke up, "Ruby, what were you saying?"

"I was out last night...and I found a man in the woods. He seemed disoriented and scared, though that might have been because of the wolf thing."

"Where was he?" Emma questioned.

"He was maybe about one-hundred feet from the old toll bridge. He didn't look like he was from Storybrooke, though. He was wearing armor and I've never seen him in town before."

Hook looked at Emma. "That would explain his confused state. A stranger entering into Storybrooke will find that this world is particularly strange, especially after coming from the Enchanted Forest. I should know."

"You should be careful though." Ruby warned. "He had this glowing sword with him. It didn't really look like he was going to hurt me, but still, it seemed powerful. Just be careful."

Emma got up from her seat. "That's my cue then. I'll check this out."

"I'll come with you." Henry got up, too.

"No, kid. We're getting you back to your mom's. It's too dangerous to get you involved with all of this."

"Come on, mom. Please? I can help out."

"Out of the question. Come on, Killian. Let's go." Emma walked out of Granny's followed by the other two. She reached into her pocket and brought out her phone. "David, we have a situation and I could use your help. Meet me at the Sherriff's station in a half hour."

* * *

Merlin slowly walked down the streets of Storybrooke, looking for any signs of Arthur, but he couldn't find any. As he passed Granny's diner, three people quickly rushed in front of him towards a yellow buggy. It was strange. In Camelot, he was renowned as a magical sorcerer and yet, here, in Storybrooke, no one even knew who he was and he just blended into the rest of the town. The only person that knew who he really was in their past lives was Rumplestiltskin.

"Enjoying a stroll through the town without a care in the world, are we?" Mr. Gold appeared behind Merlin. "Though, by the look on your face, you seem quite concerned."

"Arthur is out here somewhere. After what had happened last night, he must be terrified. He's completely new to this realm."

Mr. Gold stepped in front of him, cane in hand. "Which begs me to question. Why aren't you helping him in the first place? You used your magic wand which I procured for you to release him from whatever fate he was trapped in and you just leave him in Storybrooke to fend for himself? Just who's side are you aligned with?"

"I cannot help him. If I were to, she would come after both of us. She already knows that he's in this town and she will not be merciful. She wants him dead."

"And what is stopping her from getting what she wants? She isn't the type to wait around. If I know anything about her, she is ruthless and takes what she wants."

"I have her contained right now." Merlin stated. "Though, I can't keep her trapped for much longer. When she breaks loose, Storybrooke will be in trouble and I won't be able to help."

Gold took a look around the town. "She's the one that caused those trembles last night, wasn't she? When you had trapped her, those blasts had come from her trying to break free."

"Yes. I did it with the wand. Though, once she is freed, I doubt she would be any less merciless on me." Merlin brought his hand up to his heart.

Gold looked up at him. "Well, then I guess we'll just have to-" He stopped talking upon realization. "Ah, I sense the next conundrum, what else you're concerned about. You don't have your heart, do you? She took it, didn't she?"

Merlin sighed, "Yes. She's using it to control me. With my heart in her hands, I am a slave to whatever she desires."

"It seems like you've a rather serious predicament when she is set free, then. Best to stay clear from any trouble there."

Merlin began to walk away from him. "Which is why I need to find Arthur fast. I need to make sure that he's safe."

Gold called out to him. "Though, I'm sure that Arthur isn't the only one in this town that you're trying to protect. Believe me, I would know."

Merlin turned back to Gold. "I can't let them be hurt again."

* * *

_Arthur had returned home from the market, after his unexpected but appreciated run-in with Guinevere. Arthur and Guinevere were both deeply in love with each other and whatever time they had together, they wanted to make the most of. Arthur had plans for them to get married and start a family, but not until he was fully able to do so and had money to be able to support themselves._

_When he had entered into his hovel, he saw Merlin placing more wood into the fireplace, keeping the fire blazing. He looked up when the young man walked through. "Well, you certainly took your time, didn't you?"_

_Arthur stumbled in, caught off-guard. "I...uh...got lost...on the way to the market." He tossed off his shawl and placed it on his bed._

_Merlin looked at him, curiously. "You've been there a hundred times. The market's always been right down the road."_

_"Has it?" He played cluelessly. "I must have been misguided in where I thought I wanted to go then. Anyway, I got some food for us." He pulled out a skinned chicken from his satchel along with a few vegetables. He had set himself down by the fire and prepared making the food for themselves._

_"Have you heard the latest stories from the village? Everyone has been buzzing about it all day long."_

_Arthur looked up and laughed. "The most I've ever heard from the town has been stories of dying crop fields and tales of invading ogres from decades ago. Nothing too interesting, believe me."_

_"Not today, my boy. Today, I heard legends of a magical sword entrapped deep within a stone on the edge of Avalon Falls. They call the blade Excalibur. Many have tried, but no one has been able to remove it."_

_Arthur looked up at Merlin and shrugged, "It's just a sword. I don't see what the big deal is. There are plenty of them at the castle."_

_"It's not the sword, Arthur, but rather, what the sword brings with it. Though the blade is majestic and powerful, able to strike down any foe, there is a plaque beneath it that reads, 'Whoever can pull this sword from this stone shall be the King of Camelot'."_

_At this, Arthur couldn't contain his laughter. "Okay, Merlin, it sounds like quite a story, but no blade can make anyone king of anything."_

_"But what if someone could? Our land is without a king and we are in desperate need of one."_

_"And what? You think someone could simply walk up to it and remove it when hundreds of soldiers have already tried to do the same. It's just a legend, Merlin. Something some storyteller passed down. It doesn't make it true."_

_"And how exactly do you think this storyteller could create such a story? From his belief. He believed that this story could be true. Maybe you should, too."_

_Arthur was about to speak but found himself stopping. "Then, say that it is true. That this sword, this Excalibur, can proclaim the next king of Camelot. You believe that it could be?"_

_Merlin nodded, confidently. "Yes, my boy."_

_Arthur laughed, "Merlin, I...I appreciate your absolute certainty in me achieving the impossible, but let's think realistically. If some of the strongest men in Camelot couldn't achieve the sword, you really think that I could? This makes for a wonderful tale to tell, but it's just that."_

_"Which is why you need to believe, Arthur. Maybe...the only way to achieve the impossible is to start by believing that you can do it." Merlin got up and moved away from the fire._

_Arthur looked up for a second, taking in Merlin's words, before continuing his task to make dinner. Maybe this blade could really announce the new king of Camelot, but he certainly believed that this king was not him._

* * *

Emma and Hook drove up to the edge of the forest, closely followed behind by David and Mary Margaret. They got out of their cars and met on the edge of the woods.

"So, do we know anything about who we're looking for?" David asked.

"Not much on who. More-so, where. Ruby said that he was found nearby the toll bridge. It seems like when anybody gets lost, that's where they typically end up. She said he looked rather distraught."

"Well, we should work fast, find him before he makes his way to the town line." Mary Margaret said.

Hook turned to her, "You're coming too, my lady?"

"I might have recently had a newborn, but I'm still the best tracker here. I'm coming."

"Where's the baby?" Emma asked.

"Neal is having a play-date with Aurora's baby. We have nothing to worry about unless she's fallen asleep or decided to decorate her place with spinning wheels. He'll be fine. Let's go."

"Good, we should split up. We'll cover more ground faster." Emma suggested.

"I'll take this beauty." Hook pointed to Emma.

"I don't think so." David said, shaking his head and crossing him arms.

"Why not? Together, we'd be able to get our hands on this lost man in no time."

"That's my point. I'm worried about what else your hands...or hand is getting on."

"Okay, enough." Mary Margaret stopped them. "I will go with Emma. David you take Hook. We'll head off in opposite directions and report back in here in one hour." She began heading out into the woods.

Before Emma was able to leave, Hook caught her hand. "Be careful, love." Hook kissed her quickly.

"Be safe, Killian." Emma said, before turning back to join her mother.

"Come on, pirate. Let's go."

"Aye, mate."

David and Hook started their trek through the forest in the opposite direction of where Emma and Mary Margaret were heading.

* * *

"Henry, out of the question." Regina said to her son. "You are not going out into the woods to help the Charmings and the one-handed wonder to find some stranger. They could be dangerous."

"Mom, please. I could help them out. I want to help them."

Regina and Henry sat down at her dining room table. "Henry, I know you want to help the heroes out, but it's also important to think of your safety. It's dangerous out there and I wouldn't know what I'd do if something were to happen to you. I'm sure Emma feels the same."

"I know, I just wish I could prove that I can actually help out around here, too."

Regina smiled, "I'll tell you what, I will help the Charmings out with finding this lost man, while you can help me uncover more of the secrets from the book." She took out Henry's storybook. "The book is changing itself, Henry. There are still many secrets we've yet to uncover. Maybe you could unlock them. You know this book better than anyone. Maybe this is how you can show everyone that you're also a hero."

"Really? Thanks, mom."

Regina got up from her seat. "Be safe, Henry. I'll head out to join the others. I doubt they'd be able to find this stranger without my help, but perhaps...Gold can help."

* * *

"And what exactly are you asking of me, dearie?" Gold asked from behind the counter of his store.

"You know what I want, Gold. Information. I know that you keep much to yourself and you're not one to give favors, but I promised Henry, your grandson, that I would help the Charmings find this lost man. Now, tell me, what do you know about him?"

"Ah, you know me so well, dearie."

Regina smiled. "I also know that you're trying to be a better man for Belle. If you keep up these deals and tricks, you'll never be a better anything."

"Hm. Exploiting my trying to be a better man to get what you want. Can't say I'm too surprised."

"As if you haven't done worse. Now, help me."

Gold paused for a moment. "His name is Arthur. He's a king from Camelot, just off of the Enchanted Forest. I'm sure you've heard of it."

"Of course. Well, at least from the many different re-tellings of his story. What else?"

"Your curse had not affected his land, but with Snow's however, it had taken everyone from Camelot to this world, as well."

Regina leaned forward. "So, how do I find him?"

Gold reached under his counter and pulled out a small bottle containing a blue liquid. "The old fashioned way. A locator spell."

"How will that work? You have something that belongs to him?"

Gold pulled out a dark green shawl from behind the counter. "You remember how this spell works?"

Regina tilted her head, shooting Gold a stern look. "I'm no amateur, Gold. You should know this." She took the potion and opened the lid, pouring the liquid onto the shawl. The object suddenly started to glow and float up into the air. She began to follow it.

"Follow that shawl and it will take you to him. Though, I pray you be cautious, dearie."

Regina smirked, "Hmph. Of what? A child who'll throw a temper tantrum when I steal his toy sword?"

"Believe me, Arthur is far more powerful than you think. Even without his blade, he's a powerful lad, especially when he truly accepts how powerful he is."

Regina looked back at Gold, before exiting the shop, following the shawl as it led her down the street, towards the edge of the forest.

* * *

Emma and Snow made their way through the forest, carefully stepping over the tangled branches and roots that sprouted along the ground. After the quakes that had erupted throughout the town last night, the forest had become a bit difficult to navigate with fallen trees and branches about.

Mary Margaret helped Emma step over a fallen tree branch. "Thanks, mom."

Mary Margaret smiled and looked back at her. "You know, I think this is the first time that we've had time to ourselves since we were in the Enchanted Forest together."

"Well, it's not like we had the leisure of having mommy-daughter bonding time. As soon as we got back we had to deal with Cora...and then Pan, then Zelena, then Ingrid, then Maleficent and..."

"Yeah, we really do never get any time off do we? What I mean is, it's nice. I'm glad that we can finally have some time together in-between all of these battles. It makes me think how different things would have been if there was never any curse to break."

Emma sighed, "Well, you had no choice. You had to give me up so that I could break the curse. You were giving me my best chance."

Her mother smiled, "Yeah, but even after having Neal, it doesn't change that David and I still missed out on a large part of one of our children's lives. I think about it every day and...it just breaks my heart."

"Mine, too." Emma smiled weakly. "For the longest time, I was just...mad. I was mad at you for giving me up, but never really knowing why. I was mad at myself for not being there for Henry when I gave birth to him, when I wanted more than anything to keep him and-"

"And Emma, I wanted more than anything to keep you." Mary Margaret said. "But sometimes, loving someone means that you need to put them first and you need to give them-"

"Their best chance." Emma finished. "I know. I think about the same thing with Henry. I know that I'm supposed to be the savior, but there hasn't been a lot of saving going happening on my part. There's still just as much trouble as there always has been. Sometimes I wonder if it would have just been easier if we were to all just live under this curse. At least we would have been together without sorcerers and magic."

"Emma, I know that might seem like the easiest path to have taken, but then you never would have had Henry, Regina never would have changed, you never would have met Hook. There's a whole list of many things that never would have happened."

"Mom.."

"And that's the point, Emma. We never know what IS going to happen, either. All we have to go on is our past and hope that we can learn from it. We could spend all day blaming others and counting all of the 'what ifs' in our lives, but they won't change a thing. All we can do is move forward."

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"So, with that being said, you and Hook?" Mary Margaret replied coyly, taking the conversation into a lighter direction.

"Mom, come on."

"I'm just asking if everything is alright between the two of you."

"Yes, everything's fine. I'm enjoying it, taking it slowly with him. I can't even believe I'm having this conversation with you. I'm thirty years old. Talking about this kind of stuff with you weirds me out."

"Why? We used to do it all the time we you first came to Storybrooke."

Emma argued, "Yes! Back when you were cursed and we didn't know we were mother and daughter and you were telling me everything that was going wrong with David and Dr. Whale and half of Storybrooke."

"Hey!" Mary Margaret turned to her, astonished.

"I'm just saying. There's a completely different dynamic between us now. It takes some getting used to is all."

"When you get your new place, will he be moving in there with you?"

"Doubtful. If he did, I think David would become a permanent fixture in my living room to make sure Killian was behaving properly."

Mary Margaret laughed, "He just likes giving Hook a hard time. Half the things he says he doesn't really even mean. I think Charming actually has a soft spot for him, but he's also trying to protect you."

There was suddenly a snapping noise that came from within the trees. Emma and Mary Margaret looked around before seeing Ruby come from behind a series of trees.

"Ruby? What are you doing out here? How'd you even know where to find us?" Emma asked.

"I can smell scents from miles away. Not exactly the best trait to have, but it can be useful."

"Okay." Emma replied, slightly grossed out.

"I figured I'd come along to help. I found the man last night. I know exactly where he was. I might be able to pick up his scent and track him down."

Mary Margaret looked between Emma and Ruby. "Good thinking. We should be out of here with this stranger in no time then."

Emma spoke to Ruby. "Do you have a description of him so I know who we're looking for?"

"He was tall, brunette hair with blue eyes, he was wearing some type of armor...and he prefers the woods to be a good hiding spot. He looked to be in his early twenties? Maybe twenty-two or twenty-three?"

"Have you picked up anything on him?" Mary Margaret asked.

Ruby continued using her sense of smell and looked around searching for something. "Kind of? Maybe? I'm not certain, it might be David I'm smelling."

"He and Hook aren't too far off into the woods, either. You might be picking up the wrong scent there, Ruby." Emma started walking. "Come on, let's just continue onward. If she picks up anything further in the woods, we can follow the trail then."

* * *

_At the tavern in the local village, Guinevere and Arthur were sitting at one of the tables at the far end of the bar. The ramblings throughout the bar were all about the legendary sword of Excalibur and how most of the men in the pub had already attempted to pull the sword from the stone._

_Guinevere laughed to herself, "What a silly fable. A sword that could make anyone king? It's quite foolish, right?"_

_"Yes, though I wonder, what if the legends were true. Being the king could greatly change our lives, make Camelot a better place to live for others...and for our children."_

_Guinevere shook her head and scolded. "Arthur, don't be silly. No sword could make anyone king of anything."_

_"But it's a very powerful blade, or so I've heard. It can be used to protect the kingdom when the time comes."_

_"Arthur, it's just a legend. If Camelot really needs protection, we can seek out Merlin. He has magic. He can help protect our land."_

_Arthur sighed, "Yes, I know. He's mastered the art of magic, but using magic always comes with a price. Merlin knows that all too well."_

_"So, what exactly are you saying? That you're going to just go this sword and pull it from the stone and be king?" Guinevere brushed a stray hair away from her pretty face._

_"I'm only saying that I would at least like to give it a try. The worst that could happen is that the sword doesn't budge, but if it does..."_

_"Arthur, we both know what will happen. Don't place too much belief in this." Guinevere told him, gently._

_He looked down and took hold of her hands. "I know, I know. I'm sorry." He leaned forward and gently kissed her. "I love you."_

_She smiled back at him._

_"So, if I heard correctly? Sir Arthur believes that he could pull the sword of Excalibur from that stone?" Lancelot stepped away from the bar, towards the table, catching the attention of the two._

_Arthur looked up and saw the man, who had always been his best friend since they were younger. "Lancelot? You're back! It's good to see you, old friend." Arthur rose from the table and went over to embrace the man._

_"You, too. And Lady Guinevere." Lancelot looked at Guinevere, who flashed him a smile._

_"So, I see that you have also heard of the tales about Excalibur."_

_"Of course, a powerful blade such as that is rightfully fitting for a soldier such as myself." Lancelot smirked, confidently._

_"Not if I am able to get my hands on the blade first." Arthur smiled, brushing off the dust that had gathered on his raggedy clothing. "I think you've just met your match."_

_"Please, Arthur. Every match that we've faced together has always ended with my victory. Why would this time be any different?"_

_"Because you won't be able to obtain Excalibur."_

_"But you will, Arthur? You fully believe that you would be able to pull the sword from the stone? You jest! You are no knight. You've never even stepped foot inside those castle walls."_

_"And you've never shown an ounce of humility in your whole life."_

_"Boys, settle down." Guinevere interrupted. "It's just a sword."_

_Lancelot laughed, "Well, then. I suppose we'll just have to see who the true ruler of the kingdom shall be. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone." He let out another laugh before exiting the tavern._

_"Arthur, don't take this so seriously. Lancelot was just fooling with you."_

_Arthur smiled. "Oh, I know, but this time, it's not about beating Lancelot. It's about who would become a better king. I want that sword." He rose up from his seat and exited the tavern, heading towards Avalon Falls._

* * *

David and Hook wandered aimlessly through the woods, in no luck of finding the stranger.

"Any sight of him?" David called out to Hook, who was a little bit further ahead of him.

"Not anywhere in sight, mate. Though, I doubt we-" Hook stopped talking when he suddenly caught sight of something. From within the trees, he saw the most beautiful blade perched up against a tree. It's handle was golden and ornate, while the blade itself shimmered and glowed, as if protected by magic. The sun casting rays of light between the trees all around the blade made the weapon seem all the more ethereal.

"Where the bloody hell did this come from?" Hook approached the sword. "In our land, this weapon would be worth a fortune." He took hold of the handle and examined the sword.

David turned away from him, "Hook, let's go. We have to hurry. We'll be losing daylight soon."

"Just a minute, mate. I want-" Hook was struck on the back of the head, causing the man to collapse to the ground with a grunt.

At the noise, David turned around to see Hook on the ground, but before he could react to the attacker, he himself was then being forced backwards onto the ground. David struggled under the attacker for a moment, before he had managed to gasp out.

"Who the hell are you?" David struggled.

"My name's Arthur and nobody uses that sword but me."

David saw Arthur raise his fist and bring it down to his face before all went dark.

* * *

Regina continued following the shawl until she had reached the edge of the forest. The shawl continued moving forward entering into the forest. Regina sighed; had she known she would be trekking through the woods, she would have worn something a bit more suitable than her white blazer. She continued her pursuit of following the shawl as it floated its' way through the woods.

* * *

David awoke, feeling as though his brain was spinning. His head felt heavy and his vision was blurred. He tried to get up, but soon realize that he couldn't. When his vision cleared, he saw that both he and Hook had their bodies tied around the trunk of the tree, their arms bound.

More importantly though, he saw their attacker standing before them, his arms crossed in front of his broad chest.

"Who the hell are you?" Hook spat out.

David continued. "What do you want from us?"

"My name is Arthur and I'm going to make sure that knights like you never try to take my blade. I know you're from this world. It was probably you two that sent that demon beast with glowing eyes to chase after me last night, wasn't it? You tried to kill me and then take my sword as your own! It's been mine for the past four years and I am not letting it out of my sight."

"What the blazes are you even talking about, mate?" Hook questioned.

"Wait, Arthur?" David stopped him. "As in King Arthur? From Camelot?"

Arthur pointed his sword towards the two of them. "Ah, so you've hear about me?"

"I haven't the pleasure." Hook added in. "You've been there before?"

David shook his head, struggling against his binds. "Of course not, but his story has been told many times over in different books and movies, just like ours."

"What the hell is a movie? What magical sorcery do you speak of?"

"Let us go and we'll show you." David said, struggling.

"I don't think so." Arthur said, smugly.

Hook chuckled, darkly, "You had best keep us tied up here then because when I get freed and I will get freed, when I jab my hook into you, I can assure you, it will be most unpleasant."

"You mean this?" Arthur took out Killian's hook from beneath his armor.

Hook's eyes widened, looking down at his arm, seeing his Hook had been removed. "Wait?"

Arthur tossed the hook down onto the ground and with a single move from the sword of Excalibur, he split the hook clean in half.

Hook let out a small squeak, half-astonishment, half-devastation.

Arthur smiled. "Oops."

David couldn't help but chuckle at this. "You know, you're actually pretty good."

"What's so funny?" Hook sneered. "Had this happened to you, you'd spend the rest of your night crying in you're wife's arms, giving you butterfly kisses and baking cookies. It's not funny."

David continued chuckling.

Hook smiled, "Believe me, when I'm with your daughter, butterfly kisses aren't the only think I plan on giving her."

David stopped laughing and shot a stern look at him.

"Whoa. Low blow." Arthur said.

"Please! Ever since his daughter and I got together, he's done nothing by chastise me and try to drive a wrench into our relationship!"

"Wait, you want his daughter?!" Arthur said.

"We're the same age and I have not!" David defended, "I'm just keeping an eye on her!"

"Don't worry, I've got both my eyes all over her."

Arthur sighed, "Okay, pirate man person, as much as I appreciate your double-entendre, I think-"

"Shut up, Hook!" David struggled against his binds to attack him, but it was futile.

"Is that the best you've got, mate?" Hook antagonized.

"Not even close!"

"Guys, guys, guys!" Arthur tried to command their attention. "I attacked the two of you, why are you fighting each other!?" His efforts were useless as the two continued shouting their insults back to one another.

Hook sneered. "Let me go so I can get one clean shot at him."

Arthur turned around and started walking away from them. "What the hell kind of town is this?"

* * *

_At the base of Avalon Falls, a small crowd had gathered around the cascading waterfalls. The falls were a lush, beautiful part of Camelot, located just on the edge of the forest, some distance away from the village. The tall waterfalls stretched high towards the sky, cascading down into a shimmering lake of scattered stone. In the center of the lake, the sword of Excalibur was entrapped in one of the stones, shining brilliantly against the sunlight. The crowd of people stood before the blade._

_Merlin watched from the woods as several of the men from the village went up to the blade, trying to pull it from the stone with all of their might and strength, but the blade would not budge an inch._

_From within the crowd of men and women, Lancelot appeared, as the crowd watched him approach the stone._

_He turned back to them with a smile, "Now, let's see if I shall be the rightful king of Camelot." He turned back towards the stone, rubbing his hands together, as if preparing himself for the brute strength it would take to achieve the sword. Lancelot took hold of the blade with both hands and then, with all of his strength, tried to pull upwards._

_The blade never moved._

_Lancelot stopped, taking a breath, before trying once again. This time, he tried pulling more of his strengths from his legs and back than from his arms, but this only caused him to feel light-headed and tired. He felt as if all of the muscles in his body had completely given out at this point and he slumped down next to the stone._

_"I -I don't understand." Lancelot muttered._

_"The blade is not his!" One of the crowd members cried out._

_"But how? There is no knight more powerful than Lancelot." Another said._

_"Lancelot shall not be the king!"_

_Lancelot turned his head back to the sword of Excalibur, before trying a third time to pull the sword from the stone, to no avail._

* * *

"You've been nothing but an annoyance ever since Emma and I got together!" Hook spat.

"You've been nothing but an annoyance ever since you came back from Neverland!" David countered. "How about you head back there and never come back!?"

"Well, if it wasn't for me, you'd still be poisoned on that cursed island." Hook turned to him. "Sometimes, I'd prefer it that way."

"When we're freed, I'm knocking you out. You have the tendency to have that happen to you, don't you?"

"Shut up, you stubborn ass!"

Arthur came back up to them. "Alright, alright! I'll let you guys go if you just stop arguing. God, I'd prefer being a stone statue to this any day."

The young man took a seat in front of both David and Hook. "Look, I know that you have your own personal issues with each other, but is any of it really all that serious? " He turned to the pirate. "Hook, do you love his daughter?"

"More than anything, mate."

Arthur nodded, "Good. Show her that. Make her feel special. Don't do anything to hurt her. Maybe then you can appease David's whole...whatever he has against you."

"I don't have anything again-" David said.

Arthur chimed in, enjoying the impromptu intervention that he had started, "And you just need to be able to accept Hook as a part of your daughter's life. Haven't your parents ever given you a hard time when it comes to who you should marry?"

David nodded, "Yes, it was the worst. My adoptive father, King George, was forcing me to marry someone I didn't want to."

"Exactly, so shouldn't you be happy that your daughter at least enjoys being with him?"

Hook looked over at David and nodded.

"You're right, Arthur."

Arthur nodded and smiled, "Thanks. So, now that we're all on the same terms and there should be no more problems, let's get you out of here."

"Ah, so what do we have here?" Regina called out from behind them, suddenly appearing and smiling. "It seems our heroic prince and eyeliner spokesman have found themselves in quite a predicament."

Arthur got up and turned around, spotting Regina. "Who are you?" More importantly, however, he saw Regina holding his shawl. "And where did you get that?"

Regina took hold of the shawl, "This old thing? It would be quite a shame if something were to happen to it." She made a fireball appear in her palm, dangling the shawl dangerously close above the blaze. She never had any intention of actually doing harm to it or anyone, but she needed some leverage if it meant freeing David and Hook.

"Ah, so you have magic." Arthur smiled, lifting up Excalibur. "Well, so do I." With that, he pointed the sword forward, as it absorbed the fireball from Regina's palm, leaving her stunned for a second. "My blade can absorb and repel your magic."

"Then, I'll just have to think faster on my feet next time." Regina smiled, forming another fireball in her hands, throwing it towards Arthur. "Let the two of them go!"

Arthur lifted up his sword in front of his face, shielding himself and repelling the fireball away. "You would really try to kill me?"

Regina smirked, "Of course not, but what's a peasant to a queen?"

"For a queen, you look positively...unfortunate." Arthur said, examining Regina's unusual royal garments.

David called out. " Regina, leave him alone. He wasn't going to hurt us. He was just about to let us go before you decided to start a fight."

The fireball that had been materializing in Regina's palm dissipated. She brought the shawl over to Arthur, handing it to him. "Here. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm still trying to control myself when a new threat comes into town."

"It's alright. My name's Arthur."

"Regina."

"Are you alright?!" Mary Margaret called out, as she, Emma and Ruby were seen approaching them.

"We heard your yells. It lead us right to you."

Regina smiled, pushing her hair from her face. "I think that was just David and Hook making amends."

King Arthur turned around to see the three women, "Snow!"

Mary Margaret's eyes widened and she smiled. "Arthur!? Is that you?" The two of them ran up to each other and embraced one another. "I never thought I'd see you again."

Regina looked between the two of them. "You two know each other?"

Snow pulled back from the embrace. "Yes, we helped each other out when I was on the run from...well, from you, Regina."

Regina rolled her eyes and sighed, "Of course, you did."

"He's a loyal friend."

"Well, I'd be much more loyal to him once I am untied." Hook said.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Arthur went over to the tree and began unfastening the knots, allowing Hook and David to be freed.

"So, by the looks of things, it seems that there's no serious problems here." Emma said, before turning to the newcomer. "You're new to Storybrooke, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Yes. My name is Arthur."

"Arthur?" Emma looked surprised. "Like, King Arthur? From Camelot? With the Knights of the Round Table and the Holy Grail? You're real, too? Really?"

"You make it sound so strange."

Emma sighed, "I guess I should be used to it at this point."

"I came into town last night. I don't remember much. One moment, I was in Camelot, the next, I awoke in this land beneath the building with the large clock. I was so scared last night, that I ran here to take shelter. I'm sorry if I caused any problems."

"It's alright, mate." Hook said, picking up his hook that had been cut in two. "Just don't make a habit out of it."

"Come on, we should get back to town. There's still some cleaning up to do." Mary Margaret said. The group started heading out of the woods.

Emma turned back to Arthur and smiled. "Welcome to Storybrooke."

* * *

_Above the falls of Avalon, there was a small glades of trees and flowers that surrounded a beautiful lake, which became a small river that led to the edge of the forest, cascading down into a series of beautiful waterfalls._

_Arthur carefully made his way across a fallen tree trunk, crossing over a small ravine and heading through the forest towards the lake. He had visited the lake quite often, whenever he felt the need for encouragement or whenever he felt lost. He had especially visited the lake on this day, the day he was born, the same day his mother had died. It had been eighteen years already._

_Arthur's mother had been laid to rest at this lake and every time he had come to visit, he noticed how many more beautiful trees and flowers had grown around the lake. He had frequented the lake so often to pray to his mother for guidance._

_In his rags and the shawl over his shoulders, he knelt before the lake and closed his eyes. "Mother..."_

_A few moments had passed, before small waves began to lap against the shore of the lake. Arthur opened his eyes, calling out to his mother for guidance. Within moments, the water in the center of the lake, began to swirl. The streams of water began to disperse and part, revealing a beautiful lady appearing from within the lake._

_Arthur felt relieved, just as he always had been, when he was visited by the spirit of his mother._

_"Arthur. What is it that you are searching for?"_

_"A path. I need your guidance. My life is standing still and I have nowhere to go to from here. I will never be able to amount to anything in this world."_

_"Are you so certain of your fate?" His mother's voice seemed to echo. "I know the path you shall take, but Arthur, you have only just entered the woods. A long path awaits ahead. I will show you the way. Are you ready?"_

_Arthur nodded, "Yes. Show me."_

_His mother extended his hand outwards towards him. "Take my hand and you will be taken there."_

_Arthur cautiously made his way into the lake, approaching the gentle spirit. He extended his arm outward, reaching for his mother's hand. Then, he felt his mother's gentle touch, as real as if she were human._

_Streams of water began swirling around Arthur, as he found himself sinking deep into the lake. Shimmers and light covered him as he felt himself submerged beneath the water, being guided deep into the depths of the lake. He could see, he could breathe, all that he could take in were the magical shimmers of light and the golden rays of the sun shimmering deep within the lake. His mother continued guiding him._

_At the base of Avalon Falls, the lake split apart to the crowd's astonishment. The lake had parted and from within the lake, Arthur had emerged rising on a platform of water. His rags were gone, replaced by a golden, shimmering suit of armor. Arthur stepped forward when the lake began to fill with water again, as the crowd gasped in awe. Merlin watched Arthur's every step from the back of the crowd._

_Arthur took a deep breath, realizing where his path led. To Excalibur. Maybe the legends really were true._

_He cautiously stepped towards the stone, feeling the eyes of the crowd on him the entire time. He stepped beside the stone, taking a quick look up at the crowd, before looking back at the golden handle of the blade. Lancelot looked at him, a stern look on his face._

_Arthur placed his palm around the handle and took a deep breath. It was either meant to be or it wasn't. He was not going to waste one more minute._

_With a single bound, Arthur pulled on the sword, lifting it completely out of the stone._

_The crowd gasped as he stared at the full beauty of the sword, glimmering in the sun's reflection! He could not believe what he had just done._

_"It is him! Arthur is king!"_

_"He is the true ruler of Camelot!" The crowd cheered._

_Merlin smiled to himself._

_Arthur let out an astonished laugh and smiled brightly, looking around at his people cheer before him. Excalibur was his._

_From the back of the crowd, a hooded Rumplestiltskin let out a small, childish giggle._

* * *

Henry curiously looked through the book, skipping through pages about flying monkeys, magic carpets and monstrous titans, before he came across something on the bottom of the page. It was a small hand-written sentence, something Henry had never seen before. It said, 'Break the spell and I will show you what you seek.'

Henry looked through the pages of the book, curiously wondering if there had been any other notes that could be found. He didn't find anything. He flipped back to the page he found the saying on and suddenly, it was gone.

Henry blinked, in disbelief.

* * *

"That's the library over there. Our good friend Belle works there." Mary Margaret said, pointing towards the library. "And then across the street, there is Granny's Inn and Diner. It's a great place to go for a meal and to be with others."

"And the lasagna's pretty good, too." Ruby smiled.

"What an unusual town." Arthur said, taking in all of Storybrooke.

"You don't know the half of it. Just wait until abominable snowmen or flying monkeys come after you." Emma said.

"I guess this place sees a lot of trouble, doesn't it?" Arthur said.

David smiled and shrugged, "Eh, sometimes, but we always work together to get past anything standing in our way. We've yet to fail."

"Which brings us to our next point." Mary Margaret interrupted and looked at Arthur. "David and I were talking and...we'd like you to stay with us."

"What?" Arthur said.

"Well, you'll need a place to stay until you can find your family and friends." Mary Margaret convinced.

"I don't have any family...not many friends, either, I guess." Arthur said, a bit down-trodden. "Only Merlin, the man who's looked after me."

"Merlin? The Wizard?" Hook smiled, holding up his broken hook. "Perhaps he can fix this."

Emma took his hook. "Relax. I will use my magic to fix it when we get home."

Mary Margaret persuaded, "Well, what do you say Arthur? Stay with us and we can help you find Merlin. It's the least we can do after what you've done for me."

Arthur looked at David. "I don't understand, though. I attacked you and...you're still helping a perfect stranger?"

"It's just what we do." David smiled and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You may not have many family or friends to be with, but hopefully, you'll be able to find that in us."

Arthur smiled, a bit timidly. "Th-thank you." He was led by Mary Margaret and David, as they led him back to their place.

"Don't worry. We'll keep you safe here in Storybrooke."

* * *

On the outskirts of the town, Merlin descended down the dark sinkhole, trudging through the cavernous tunnels. He continued further into the tunnel until he was stopped in front of his shield. He was astonished that his magic was still working after all this time, but in moments, the shield disintegrated.

The old wizard looked ahead of him, at the disheveled woman standing before him. "Thought that your magic could keep me here long, did you?" The woman cackled.

"Long enough to do what I had to." Merlin stated.

"Ah, so the boy is free, then? That's just another casualty waiting to happen in Storybrooke."

Merlin took out his wand. "If you touch one hair on that boy's head, I'll-"

"You can't do anything, Merlin. Not when I have this." She stepped out of the shadows, holding his heart. "You're mine, Merlin. Just like all of Storybrooke will be, now and forever."

Merlin gulped, looking into her dark demonic eyes.

She laughed, "Now say it, Merlin. Tell me, 'I belong to Morgan Le Fay." She gently squeezed his heart.

Merlin let out a gasp of pain, before stuttering. "I-I belong to M-Morgan Le Fay."

She giggled lightly, removing Merlin's wand from his grasp. "Mmm, much better. Your magic is mine yet again, Merlin." She raised her wand to the sky and let out a might shriek, bolts of lightning echoing through the cavern, as another tremble began to shake Storybrooke.

Her evil laughter filled the cavern, as Merlin stared, terrified.

* * *

Chapter Three - Dark and Light

When Morgan Le Fay enters Storybrooke, she stirs up a whirlwind of torment for the heroes. Henry asks Belle to assist him in finding out the truths about the book. Arthur, with the help of Emma and the others, look for Merlin, but what they find they're up against is daunting. In the Enchanted Forest of the past, Regina is visited by someone who claims to be her fairy godmother, who will assist her in going to a royal ball without her mother knowing, but Regina and the fairy godmother soon find themselves in over their heads.

* * *

Thank you everyone that has read the story so far and thank you for the reviews! I hope you have been enjoying it.


	3. Dark and Light

Morgan emerged from within the sinkhole, staring at Storybrooke from the shrouded part of the forest. With a wave of her hand, she transformed her disheveled appearance into the most beautiful dark red robes she could have thought to create. The robes hugged her figure and accentuated her curves perfectly. Her dark brown hair cascaded down her back, bringing out her piercing blue eyes.

Merlin stumbled out of the cavern, "Couldn't go without a wardrobe change, could you?"

Morgan laughed to herself, "If I'm going to make my presence known in Storybrooke, I won't do it looking like a peasant from your village."

She reached into a pocket in the robes and pulled out what looked like sparkling dust to Merlin. She brought her palm to her face, examining the small grains, curiously.

"And what is that?" Merlin asked, both out of curiosity and fear.

"The last bit of my fairy dust, blackened and corrupted by my magic, far more powerful than any sort of dark magic one can create. Don't worry, though. I can create much more. It will just take some time."

"And what are you going to do with it?" Merlin's voice trembled.

Morgan reached into her pocket, retrieving Merlin's heart. She whispered into the beating, glowing organ. "Back to your prison cell."

Without any word, Merlin instantly straightened and slowly proceeded back down into the dark depths of the cavern, having no choice but to do so.

With Merlin gone now, Morgan smiled to herself, taking one last look at the dust. "Let's see if you still work in this land?" With that, she sprinkled the dust onto the ground next to her. The ground morphed and twisted, before it seemed to sink into a puddle of darkness. The puddle of darkness looked deep and immense, like it had no end. The ground surrounding the puddle began to break off and fade away, as if being sucked in like quick sand.

Morgan smiled darkly, as the dark puddle bubbled and oozed over.

Chapter Three - Dark and Light

David opened his closet. "There you go. Take your pick. They might be a bit large on you, but it's a start."

Arthur looked inside of his closet, examining the different materials. "What the hell are these?"

"Uh, they're clothes a bit more common to this land." Mary Margaret said, gently rocking baby Neal.

"Where's the armor or tunics?" Arthur questioned.

"Those are more common back in the Enchanted Forest and Camelot. Here, we have shirts and jeans." David said, taking out a few different pairs.

"There's still a lot to get used to in this world, Arthur." Mary Margaret said. "Don't worry, we'll help you out."

"I know. It's a bit daunting...with your jeans and cars and demonic sound boxes."

"They're called radios."

"Whatever they're called. What I mean is..." Arthur began, sighing. "it's a bit daunting for me to be exposed to so much at once, but...thank you for helping out when I know that you have so much on your plate."

"It'll be our pleasure." Mary Margaret said. "Now here, change out of that armor. We should be getting down to Granny's for breakfast."

Arthur smiled to himself, looking down at the new pairs of clothes he had in front of him.

* * *

"You really had to bring your sword with you?" David questioned Arthur, as the two of them and Mary Margaret with the baby walked up to the front of Granny's diner.

"Of course. Merlin told me never to let it out of my sight. You'd be surprised how many people wanted this blade back in our land. They'd kill to get it."

"It sounds more like a curse than a blessing." David said.

"You'd be right. Being ruler of a kingdom is quite a difficult task, especially when so many people are either looking up to you...or trying to do you harm. It's not quite what I expected."

"Believe me, we know that ruling a kingdom is no challenge that could be done alone." David said. "I was like enough to find Snow and together, there wasn't nothing we couldn't overcome. No curses or monsters or spells could stop us."

Arthur turned to David. "If only I had been as fortunate."

Mary Margaret called out to the two of them. "Come on, Emma and Henry are already inside." She led the two other men inside. Inside, a few of the dwarves were enjoying breakfast at a few of the tables, while Belle and Ruby were talking up at the counter.

Arthur stepped inside. "What kind of mystical place is this? This is nothing like the taverns back at home."

Granny shouted from behind the counter. "Hey! Keep your sword at the door, unless you're here to reupholster the booths."

"What?"

"Nevermind her." Mary Margaret said, making him leave his sword at the door. "Come on." She led him over to a booth where Emma and Henry had already been sitting.

"Here. Don't be scared by the menu items, there's a description beneath all of them, but believe me, everything tastes good." Mary Margaret said handing him a menu.

"What's a hamburger?" Arthur questioned, flipping the menu back and forth, as if searching for an answer.

"It's sort of like chimera, but with one animal."

"So, do you have any leads on where Merlin could be, Arthur?" Emma said.

"No, that's why I was hoping you could help me. Your parents say that you're good at finding people."

Emma smiled, "Well, I'm good at tracking people down when I have evidence to go by. Do you remember anything about the last time you saw Merlin? Do you have something of his? Anything at all that can be used to track him down?"

Arthur thought for a second. "No. The last thing I remember was the two of us being in Camelot when the second dark curse was being cast and then, awakening in Storybrooke."

"You were down there close to three months." Mary Margaret looked at David. "Surely, Merlin has had to be seen by someone."

"Maybe Gold would know." Emma said.

"Any other family or friends in town." David said.

"I can only assume that the Dark Curse brought anyone from Camelot to this town." Arthur said.

"What about Guinevere? She was from the King Arthur story, right?" David turned to the others. "Or Lancelot, David and I met him back in our land some time ago."

Mary Margaret cleared her voice and leaned up to David's ear, whispering, "Cora killed him."

David sighed, "Of course, she did."

"I don't know, it's been some time since I've seen them. It might take some time to find them in this land." Arthur said.

"Don't worry, we can help you out." Mary Margaret said. "We can check the Storybook census. I'm the mayor now, I have that power." She said proudly.

Regina entered into the diner, being called by Henry.

"Hey mom!" Henry said. "Come here. When I was looking through the book yesterday, I found something in the book."

Regina approached the table, as Henry pulled out the storybook. "Really? You found a clue."

Emma nodded, "Yeah, Henry found something that was written...but then it wasn't."

"Wait, what?" Regina shook her head confused.

Belle listened in on the conversation from the counter.

Henry opened to the page of the book. "Here. Right on this page. When I was looking at it yesterday, written in the book, it said, 'break the spell and I will show you what you seek'. I looked away for a second and then, the writing was gone."

"Really?" Regina said, examining the book closely. "There's strong magic here."

"Perhaps I can help." Belle said behind her. "I do love books, after all. Maybe I can help you uncover some of these...secrets."

Regina's eyebrows raised. "You...want to help me?"

Belle smiled, "Well, yes, and my grandson. Maybe all this reading I've done could be of some use to find out the truth."

Henry smiled. "Thanks, grandma."

"Eh, you can call me Belle." She said.

Regina smiled. "Henry, now we have a start. This is new clue in finding out the truth behind our happily ever afters."

* * *

_Regina rode along her horse, happily enjoying the beauty of the rolling countryside as the rain fell upon the land on the cloudy, overcast day. She began to slow the horse down as she approached the stables nearby her family's manor. The seventeen-year-old maiden hopped off of the horse and led it inside of the stables, securing it inside of its' pen._

_"Well done, Rocinante." Regina said, smiling and petting the horse's face._

_"Regina, dear." Her mother called out, catching Regina's attention. Her mother stood, upright and poised, behind her. "What are you doing out riding at this hour? The ball is in a few hours. You should be preparing yourself."_

_Regina nodded and looked down. "Mother, I'm sorry."_

_Cora scoffed when she saw Regina's face. "Ugh, look at you. You look like a commoner." She raised her hands to Regina's face to wipe the dirt off her cheeks, but the young girl instinctively pulled away. "A beautiful, young woman like you shouldn't be subjected to doing work a stable boy should do. I've already talked to your father and we've hired a young man to watch over the stables. He arrives next week."_

_"Wonderful, mother." Regina replied, half-heartedly, before moving past her mother, but she was stopped._

_"Now, go clean yourself up. How are you to meet a noble suitor at the ball when you look like that? We leave at once." Cora said._

_"Mother, I don't want to go to the ball." Regina turned to her. "Especially not in the pursuit of finding someone to wed."_

_Cora placed a hand on her daughter's cheek. "Regina, this is just cold feet. It is perfectly natural to feel nervous in the presence of such royalty."_

_"I don't want to find a suitor. I don't need a royal to make me happy. If I am to be with someone, I want it to be out of love."_

_"Regina. Love is weakness." Cora addressed her daughter, sternly. "It doesn't last forever. And just as soon as you've found it, you lose it. You lose yourself and your happiness. Don't let that happen to you, dear." She turned away from her daughter and laughed. "Now, get ready, dear." Cora shot one last look at her daughter, before turning away to leave the stable._

_Regina scoffed and turned away, frustrated. She kicked a basket of hay next to her out of frustration, pacing back and forth._

_"Worry not, Regina. You will find happiness." A small fairy entered into the stables._

_Regina, caught off-guard, quickly turned around, noticing the small fairy descend down to her. "Who are you?"_

_With a puff of light and in a magical glimmer, the fairy grew to full human form. "I'm your fairy godmother, of course."_

_Regina stuttered for a moment, confused. "F-fairy godmother? I...I've never met a fairy before."_

_"We only appear to those who are in need of us most." The fairy explained. "You, my dear. You're not untouched by magic, are you?"_

_The young woman nodded, solemnly. "It's my mother. She's been studying the darkest of magic for years now. It's because of her...I feel like I'm on a constant leash. I know it will be the same way when going to the ball tonight. I-I just don't want to."_

_The fairy had a concerned look on her face and led Regina to sit down on a stack of hay with her. "Why not?"_

_Regina shrugged and let out a dry laugh, "What's a royal ball? Spending a night with only those invited indulging in far too much food and mingling amongst arrogant royals? Trying to appease my mother by spending my night talking to dukes and princes with her watching my every move?"_

_The fairy turned to her, "Well, then, perhaps you go to the ball without her?"_

_Regina let out a laugh. "Yes. Without mother. She'd never allow that to happen."_

_"What if she didn't know?"_

_"And how would I do that?" Regina asked, curiously._

_"Magic." The fairy smiled. "I can help you."_

_Regina's eyebrows raised, "You...want to help me?"_

_The fairy nodded, enthusiastically. "Absolutely. With my magic, it will take you to the ball and to a lifetime of happiness."_

_"Really?" Regina smiled, beaming. "Your magic can really work? It would be a magical evening, I'm sure. Oh, how can I thank you? I don't even know your name, do I?" She let out a girlish laugh._

_"You can call me Morgan Le Fay."_

* * *

"So, you're saying all of Storybrooke disappeared out of existence for a year and then you had to fight off a kid called Pan?" Arthur questioned, as he walked down Main Street with Emma, Mary Margaret and David.

"No Pan came first, then it was the Wicked Witch." Mary Margaret corrected.

"And she was Regina - the evil queen's half-sister."

"Yes, who went on to adopt our grandson, Henry, but she's also his step great grandmother."

"What?" Arthur turned to her.

"Yeah, it's a complicated story." Emma explained. "You'll get the hang of it eventually. Everyone is related in this town."

Mary Margaret nodded, "So, the town committee came to me asking for a favor."

"What do they want now?" David asked.

"Well, being in the role of mayor and having to have all community affairs green-lit by me, they wanted to do a community-involved festival."

"What?" Emma asked.

"And they put me at the helm of the project." Mary Margaret concluded.

"Between being mayor, a teacher and most importantly, a new mother, where are you going to find time to do that?" David questioned.

"I'll make time!" Mary Margaret defended. "I think it's a great idea that could bring the community together. Back in our land, every year, my parents would host a royal ball and people from so many kingdoms would come." She sighed, "It was magical. Needless to say, when my mother died, that tradition stopped."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "So, you're saying that you want to host a royal ball for fairytale characters living in a very non-fairytale-like world? Sounds a bit ironic to me."

Mary Margaret huffed, "Well, I don't see what the big deal is. I think it's a great idea. It's something that can help us celebrate who we are, where we really come from. I'm surprised we haven't done anything soon."

David nodded, "Well, I have no experience of planning royal balls, so..."

"Don't worry, as long as you are on baby watch, everything will be alright." Mary Margaret assured.

"Come on, let's get to Gold's to see if he can help Arthur out."

* * *

"Here, it's just down this way." Henry said, leading Belle down the hall of the old mansion, where she and Rumple had spent their honeymoon.

She laughed lightly, "How did you even find this place? Rumple and I spent days here and I never expected a thing."

"Come on, I thought it seemed obvious. New mansion in town, no one living there." Henry smirked and shrugged. "I thought it made sense to pull every light fixture, book and switch in the place."

Belle smiled, "Smart kid."

"Here. Watch." Henry went up to the light fixture at the end of the hall and pulled on it. The light slid down and revealed a passage into a secret room that was completely hidden away from the rest of the mansion. Henry stepped inside, followed by Belle.

Belle marveled when she entered into the room. Along the walls were several shelves, filled with empty books that were identical to Henry's. She gasped. "Wow. This place is incredible. It reminds me of the library back at Rumple's castle. The place was filled with books from the floor to the ceiling."

Henry went to one of the shelves of books, "I looked through a few of these books a couple times already, but didn't find a thing. Though, after the note that appeared yesterday, there might be some more clues to uncover in here."

"Good thought." Belle sat down and took hold of Henry's book. "So, all of the books have the same cover, but only this one tell the story from our land. What do you suppose all of these other books are for?"

Henry shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe they're here if any more stories were to be added to the book? Or maybe they tell different versions of the things that have happened? How many different versions of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' or 'Cinderella' are there?"

"I don't know, Henry," Belle said examining the book, "but if we do a little bit more research, I think we can find out some more clues."

"Thanks." Henry smiled. "You know, grandma, this is actually a lot of fun getting to solve some mysteries."

"Yeah, it is." Belle gave him a stern look. "But please...call me Belle."

* * *

Regina walked down the street, heading back towards her house. As she made her way down the street, she was unaware of the set of eyes that were intensely staring at her. Morgan Le Fay peered out from behind a building, spying on the woman.

* * *

_Regina coughed, lying on the couch in the hall of the manor. "I'm sorry, father. I don't think I am well enough to go to the ball this evening." She replied faintly, placing a hand on her forehead._

_"Are you certain, dear? King Leopold's royal ball only comes once a year. Perhaps you will feel better by the time our carriage arrives at the palace?" His father tried persuading her._

_"Stop coddling her." Cora lectured her husband. "It's all that foolish riding that she's been doing recently. Now, she's worked herself into a frenzy. Step aside." She commanded her husband, taking a seat next to Regina. She lifted up her hands, ready to cast a magical cure that was to heal Regina of her 'sickness'._

_"Mother, please." Regina took hold of her mother's hand, pulling it down from her face. "No magic. Let me get better on my own. Now, please, you should go to the ball."_

_With a frustrated grunt, Cora rose from her seat and stormed through the hall. "Henry, leave her! We must leave, our carriage awaits." She left the hall._

_Henry leaned forward and placed a loving kiss on his daughter's forehead. "Feel better, dear."_

_"Henry!" Cora's voice yelled from the manor, causing the man to abruptly straighten and leave the hall. As her father left, Regina slyly peeked over her shoulder, checking for any signs of her parents. When she was certain that they were gone, she sprung up from the couch and ran through the manor, a smile on her face._

_She ran outside to the stable, where Morgan had been waiting for her. "I thought they would never leave! Did they spot you?"_

_Morgan shook her head, "Don't worry, Regina. I'm good at hiding when I don't want to be found! Now, are you ready?"_

_Regina smiled and nodded excitedly, feeling like a girl who was going to have the first fun night of her entire life._

_The fairy swirled her wand around, causing a puff of smoke and sparkles to surround Regina. When the smoke and magic cleared, Regina found herself in a stunning red ball gown, which draped all the way to the ground, accentuating her curves. Her hair cascaded down her back in beautiful, dark curls. She was simply stunning._

_"Ah, and one last touch." Morgan added, before waving her wand again, causing a mask to appear in Regina's hands in a puff of smoke._

_"What's this for?" Regina said. examining the beautifully ornate mask which matched her dress._

_"It's a masquerade ball, of course! Everyone will have one."_

_Regina smiled. "Great, with this, mother will never know I am there. I can go unnoticed."_

_"Dear, looking like that, how can someone not notice you? All eyes will be on your beauty." Morgan smiled, urging Regina to head to the ball. "Now, go! The ball awaits!"_

_Regina took hold of her horse, which soon left the stables. She turned back with a smile on her face, calling out, "Thank you, Morgan."_

_Regina quickly rode off into the distance, as the fairy watched with a smile on her face._

* * *

Arthur entered into Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop along with the Charmings. When he entered in, he took in all of the different objects and artifacts that were found around the shop. He was in awe for a moment. There were so many items found from so many different worlds.

"This place is amazing." Arthur said, nearly stumbling into a counter from looking all around the shop.

"Careful. The proprietor of this shop is a collector and has a fondness for making deals you don't completely understand," Emma assured.

"That I did, dearie." Gold said, walking out from the back of the store. "I'm working on changing my life."

Emma smirked and looked to the side. "I guess Belle did a number on you, didn't she?"

Gold sneered and began polishing a golden lamp he had kept on the counter. "How can I help you, Ms. Swan? A location spell? Having trouble with your magic? Need me to re-attach your perfectly dashing boyfriend's hand because the rest of his just isn't enough?"

"We need your help with him." Emma said, pulling Arthur forward. "His name is Arthur. He's come from Camelot."

"Is that true? Camelot?" Gold said, intrigued.

"Yes. My land escaped the first Dark Curse, but was victim to the second. Everyone that was in Camelot should have been taken." Arthur concluded.

"And here you are. You solved your own issue. Welcome to Storybrooke, lad." Gold concluded.

"That's not our issue." David defended, "We need your help. Do you know anything about a mystical wizard by the name of Merlin. I've heard legends from him, but we've never seen him before, here or in the Enchanted Forest."

"Of course I've heard of Merlin. He's one of the most powerful sorcerers to have ever existed." Gold looked up at them. "And that's all I know."

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. "You have to know more than that, Gold, you always do."

"I'm afraid not, dearie. When it comes to sorcerers, I learned that it is best to distinguish the good from the bad. I was the bad - sought out to be exterminated by the good. I've never met him, to my fortune."

"So, you don't know anything, Gold? No information to find Merlin at all?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I'm afraid you will have to find him on your own, dearie."

"Come on, Arthur. He's no help." David set placing an arm on Arthur's shoulder.

Emma turned back to Gold. "If you hear or find out anything, let me know."

Gold nodded.

"Arthur, Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find Merlin."

Gold looked up as they exited and muttered, "I'm sure you will, dearie."

* * *

Henry and Belle made their way back to Regina's house, carrying a stack of empty books in their hands, along with the original completed one. Belle stumbled along the sidewalk, dropping a few books along the way.

Belle sighed, crouching down to pick up the books. "You know, as a librarian, I expected this to be a bit easier."

Her and Henry managed to make it to the front door, before Regina let them inside. Belle and Henry stumbled to the elegant dining room located at the back of the foyer, where they had dropped all of the books onto the table with a sigh.

Regina turned to them, "So, did you find anything useful?"

Belle sighed, taking a seat at the table. "Afraid not."

Regina looked down at the pile of books on the table, "Then, what's all of this?"

"Samples." Henry replied simply. "We're using them for data to gather more clues to find out the truth about the book."

Belle flipped through Henry's book, going page by page. "We looked through these books for over an hour and couldn't find any clue." She looked up at Regina, continuing to flip through the book. There was a small written note on one of the pages, but she continued to flip through it, the clue going unnoticed by Belle. "This is much more difficult than I thought it would be. Maybe you can just go back to the author of the book and ask him?

Regina scoffed, "The author is Pinocchio, or at least I believe it is. Do you really think I can go up to a twelve year old and ask him to give me a happy ending? I think I'll have to find another solution."

Belle shook her head, "So, you don't think he remember anything?"

"No. Ever since the Blue Fairy turned him back into a real boy, he's completely forgotten everything about his past life and is living that well-deserved happily ever after with his father."

"But there is Mother Superior." Belle suggested.

"Yes." A small smile grew on Regina's face. "She has magic. She knew about the book before it even came into existence. She's the one who told Snow that our stories would reveal themselves one day."

"I think...if anyone could help us, it's her." Belle said.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I wish, but that fairy is on such a high horse between the chasms of right and wrong that If I came five feet to her, she'd probably explode in a fit of moral justification, which, she believes, I deserve."

Belle looked up, "Well, you did do a lot of awful things back in our land."

"And she'd be the one to dangle them over my head for the rest of my life." Regina concluded.

"Well, that's the point, Regina." Belle got up from her seat and closed the book. "Sometimes to get what you want, you have to get help from...unexpected places."

"Like with Belle." Henry smiled.

Regina sighed and sat down at the table. "Why do I get the feeling I am going to hate all of this?"

* * *

Emma and the others made it back to their home. Emma and Arthur took a seat at the table, while David and Mary Margaret went to work finding the census indexes, which profiled everyone in Storybrooke taken by both curses.

"Ah, here they are." Mary Margaret called out, dropping a stack of bulky binders onto the floor. "Now, let's see..."

"How are we even going to start looking for Merlin or anyone from Camelot?" David flipped through the indexes. "I doubt Merlin or Guinevere makes for a good Storybrooke alias. Even if we did find their 'fake' name, we'd have no idea of knowing that its' theirs."

"Don't give up hope just yet, David."

"Arthur, hey. Listen to me." Emma turned to the young man. "We're going to find him. Don't worry."

Arthur let out a small smile which soon faded. "Thanks, but how are you so sure?"

"It's...just what I've done my whole life - finding people." Emma concluded.

"It's just...Merlin is really the only family I've known and I just want to make sure he's safe."

Emma tilted her head. "And your parents?"

Arthur sighed and looked down, sad. "My dad was gone before I was born and my mom died giving birth to me. I've lived my whole life without knowing them and...it..."

"Hey." Emma said, taking hold of Arthur's hand. "I know what it's like. Ever since I was a baby, I thought my parents gave me up because they didn't want me. For the longest time, I was so angry. I cried myself to sleep every night...because I wanted my parents so badly and I thought I'd never find them."

Arthur saw the tears forming in Emma's eyes. "I keep thinking that it'll get easier as life goes on, but it doesn't. It doesn't take away the fact that...my parents weren't here to see my first smile...or hear my first words. I keep on thinking that my parents would be so proud of me, but then I realize...I don't really know. And I'm going to live my whole life not ever knowing, Maybe finding Merlin is hopeless."

Emma looked down. "For the longest time, I was looking for my family and I thought I would never find them. Look, when I was a kid, I had the same exact thought, I thought, 'what if I never find them', 'what if they never know who I am'? I didn't give up hoping. Maybe you shouldn't, either."

Arthur nodded. "Maybe. Even just being here and seeing you with your family and how happy you are...it hurts knowing I'll never be a part of one. I always thought good guys were supposed to get the happy endings, but ever since I became a king, I realized that happy endings don't last forever."

Emma sighed and nodded.

"And Emma, you have more family than you can imagine now. You have great parents, a son that loves you. You have a pirate that...wants to be with you more than anything."

Emma's lips twitched upwards.

"You have the happy ending. Do everything that you can to hold onto it, because I didn't."

Their conversation was interrupted when David rose to the window. "What the hell is that?"

They all went over to the window to see what David was talking about. They saw it then. Beyond the clock tower, on the edge of the forest, they saw a plume of darkness rising into the sky.

* * *

Morgan waved her hands above the pit of darkness raising her hands towards the sky, sending the pillars of darkness above them. A small dark mountain began to build out of the dark puddle.

She shifted her head to the side, staring at the sinkhole, entering into the dark caverns. She saw Merlin laying on the floor, helplessly imprisoned behind a magical barrier.

Morgan let out a giggle. "Ah, my work is almost complete."

Merlin stumbled to his knees. "Wh-what are you doing?"

Morgan shifted her eyes to the side, a wry smile on her face. "Creating a monster...or should I say, a distraction."

"Why?"

She laughed again, "Isn't it obvious? So, that I can get what I want without any interference."

"And what's that?"

Her laugh was like that of an eerie child. "So, many questions, Merlin. Why don't you use that wise brain of yours? Now, I'll just leave you to try and escape." She playfully traced her hands along the magical barrier, causing sparks to emit under her fingertips. "I suspect it will be quite painful to try and break through, but it'd be fun to watch you try. Do put some heart into it." She laughed in mockery. "Oops, bad choice of words, was it?"

A loud roar erupted from outside of the cavern. She turned to leave. "I must go. My sweetness calls me."

She left the cavern and went to see her work in progress. A tall, black mountain had stretched into the sky, topped with what looked like two dark wings coiled together.

She raised her arms towards the peak of the mountain. "Rise."

With that, the wings flapped for a moment, before stretching open, revealing the dark-horned demon within. The large creature had bright yellow eyes and sharp fangs which protruded from its' mouth. From the peaks of the mountains, smoke and fire flowed freely, blackening the sky. The creature let out a mighty roar.

Morgan smiled, "Oh, creature of darkness, Chernabog! The purveyors of light will be here soon. Do what you will to the other fools, but leave the boy to me."

The dark demon let out another large roar, which echoed through the forest, before thrusting his wings outwards.

* * *

A sudden tremble was sent through Storybrooke and a loud roar was heard.

At Regina's house, Regina, Belle and Henry were still at the dining room table, examining the books when the loud roar was heard. They all looked up from the sudden noise and turned to look at each other. This roar sounded violent, almost painful to listen to. Whatever it came from, they knew it wasn't good.

"What was that?" Henry looked towards the front door.

"I think we're about to find out." Regina said, rising from the table, heading towards the entrance of the house. She was followed by Henry and Belle, who left the books behind at the table.

* * *

_Regina arrived at the ball, having snuck through the royal guards with a fake name. She pressed down on the creases of her dress and straightened the mask on her face as she made her way through the grand hall. The place was filled with people from so many different kingdoms, wearing the most elegant and regal of designs. At the center of the hall, a group of at least a dozen couples were waltzing to the musicians that played in the corner of the room._

_The young woman walked along the sides of the hall, where grand tables were set, filled with food and drinks. From here, she tried to spy her way through the crowd, catching any sight of her father or mother. After another moment of searching, she saw her mother talking to a ryal duke from a far-okk kingdom. Regina couldn't help but roll her eyes. She was suddenly caught off-guard when the king rose at the front of the hall._

_"Our honored guests," King Leopold called out to his people, "tonight is a celebration in honor of you, all of the people of our realm." The king called forth his wife and daughter. "We have much to thank to my beloved wife, Queen Eva, for going through each and every detail to make this night a possibility. And of course, my lovely daughter, Snow, for convincing me to have such a wonderful celebration."_

_The crowd applauded as King Leopold embraced his daughter. He turned back to the people, "May you all enjoy this evening."_

_Regina continued staring at the waltzing dancers, slowly backing away from the dance floor before she accidentally backed up into a well-dressed man standing behind her. The man looked like a prince. "Oh, sorry! I-I didn't see you there."_

_The masked man placed a hand on his chest. "Apologies, my lady. For not noticing your beauty earlier."_

_Regina laughed slightly and smiled, appreciating the genuine compliment. She took the sides of her dress and bowed slightly. "Thank you, sir, but out of curioisty, how can you give such a genuine compliment when this is a masquerade ball? I don't believe you've seen my face." SHe smiled._

_"Well, perhaps I would be lucky enough after our dance?" The man stretched out his hand to her, smiling. "What do you say?"_

_Regina brought out her hand, hesitating for a second. "I've...never danced before. I don't want to make you look foolish."_

_"Don't worry. I'll help you." The man smiled and stretched out his hand closer to hers. "Trust me."_

_She placed her hand in his, as she was led to the center of the room with the man. She felt more nervous than anything, but she couldn't deny that she was excited to have her first dance at her first royal ball, either._

_"Here. Hold up your hand." The man said to Regina. She did and he took hold of it. "Now, place your other hand on my shoulder." She did so._

_He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, causing Regina to blush. "I'm sorry if I was over-stepping my boundaries." He loosened his grip on her waist. "You can-"_

_"No." Regina urged, placing his arm on her waist. "Don't stop."_

_The two of them began to slowly dance to the music being played._

_Regina looked deeply into the masked man's eyes, as if trying to memorize them. "So, what kingdom are you from?"_

_The man stuttered for a moment. "Um, well, I'm a prince from a far-off kingdom called Andalea. It is the loveliest of lands."_

_Regina smiled, as the man twirled her. "You must have traveled a long way to come here."_

_"Well, I suppose this dance has made my travels all worth it."_

_Regina smiled, taking a look at the other couples dancing around them. It seemed that they had all eyes on them. For a moment, she was taken out of reality, just enjoying this single moment of this mysterious man, who has whisked her off of her feet. Regina was taken out of her day-dream when the man spoke again._

_"And how is it that a maiden as lovely as yourself has come to the ball alone?" He questioned._

_Regina smirked, "Well, lucky for you, I suppose. I came here without my mother knowing. If I attended with her, she'd try to marry me off with any duke, prince or king that would look my way."_

_"And what's wrong with having money and comfort to go home to?" The man said._

_Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes, "You're just like every prince. You can have all of the money and riches in the world, but is there love?"_

_The mysterious man smiled and smirked, "And here you are, thinking you know a perfect stranger so well, but you, my lady, are fooled. If I was to be with someone, I would want it to be out of love."_

_Regina smirked upon realization. "You're no prince, are you?"_

_"And what would make you throw about such a sudden accusation?" The man twirled her._

_"Well, for a start, in my whole life, I have never met a royal who married for love. There are many reasons to marry, but for royals, love is scarcely one of them. And also, I can see by your muddy boots that you had quite a trip here." She looked down pointing to his dirty shoes. "Even the least wealthy of princes could afford a carriage to arrive at a royal ball. Except you."_

_The man laughed and stepped back from her, "You are quite the perceptive sort, aren't you?"_

_Regina smiled, "You see, I saw right through that mask of yours to see who you really are."_

_"I hope it hadn't cost me the rest of this dance."_

_"Don't worry, it hasn't." Regina assured, continuing the dance. "But why would you feel the need to lie to me?"_

_The man sighed, "I...thought that...if I wasn't a prince or a royal...you'd never look my way."_

_"That's silly." She placed her hand on his chest, over his heart. "I'd rather be with a man, that instead of lining their castles with gold, had a heart of gold."_

_Their dance continued. "You're quite a natural."_

_"Thank you."_

_The man twirled her again and wrapped his arms around her waist, "So, here you are, at a royal ball, having successful evaded your mother and dancing with a stranger."_

_Regina laughed, "Yes, it's been quite magical, actually. I couldn't ask for anything more."_

_The man suddenly dipped her. "What about falling in love?"_

_Regina's mouth fell open, her heart pounding. She stared deeply into the man's eyes, as if seeing into his soul. For a moment, she had the urge to kiss him, for them to become completely connected. but it never happened. All she could hear was her heart thumping through her body, staring at the masked man._

_The man straightened and brought Regina up straight. "You see, you may have been able to see through my mask, but I can see right past yours, too. I don't need to remove it to know how beautiful you are."_

_Regina smiled,her breath taken away. She felt herself falling for this stranger, as their dance continued._

* * *

Emma, David, Arthur and Mary Margaret with the baby quickly made their way down Main Street. Another loud screech echoed through the town.

"What the hell is that?" Emma said, looking around her.

"There." David pointed towards a part of the sky, located on the edge of the forest. There, dark, black clouds had gathered. Bolts of lightning struck down from the sky.

"What now?" Emma sighed, exasperated.

From around one of the corners, Mother Superior appeared, "Thank goodness you're all here."

Mary Margaret turned to her, "Mother Superior, what's happening?"

"I sensed it moments ago - a very dark presence on the edge of the forest. I can feel a great amount of dark magic being used."

"Dark magic?" Mary Margaret looked to the others, "We had better hurry."

Mother Superior nodded, "Yes! We must hurry. I can sense the dark presence growing in Storybrooke with every passing minute. The fairies and I sense that this being is...not of this world...or any for that matter." She led them down the street, towards the forest.

"Is it common that there are rarely any boring days in this town?" Arthur said.

Emma replied, "Typically not."

They made their way down the street until they had come across Regina, Belle and Henry who had met up with Hook.

"Are you alright?" Mary Margaret asked.

"We're fine." Regina confirmed. "What is happening?"

"Something dark. Something far more evil than any of us could believe." Mother Superior said.

"Heart-warming." Regina replied.

"It's a being that is stronger than any of us."

"Well, I doubt that." Regina scoffed.

Mother Superior continued leading them into the forest, sensing the dark presence growing stronger and stronger.

"What exactly are we up against?" Emma asked curiously.

They made their way from around the trees, entering into the area by the sinkhole, thunder trembling around them when they came face to face with the dark beast. When the dark-winged being Chernabog spotted the heroes approach them, he thrust out his wings forward, causing an impulse that sent them to the ground. The horned creature let out a great roar.

Emma lifted herself up off her knees. "Really?"

* * *

With her distraction in place, Morgan went to the town line, sensing a great deal of magic on the border. She looked over to her right at the leaving Storybook sign and let out a smirk. She saw the bright orange line that marked the barrier between Storybrooke and the real world. She curiously and cautiously raised her hand above the line, sensing the powerful magic there.

'Hm. A bit of residual magic. Whatever magic resides here would prevent my plans from being carried out. Easy fix.' She raised both of her hands, a powerful dark orb of energy building up between them. She tossed the powerful orb towards the invisible barrier at the town line, which destroyed whatever magic that had existed there. There was a blast before the magic had faded away. Whatever magical barrier that had existed that had kept people out of Storybrooke had vanished.

Morgan laughed to herself, 'Perfect.'

* * *

_"It's amazing that you have been able to see so much of this world. I have barely been able to leave my home, let alone travel the world." Regina said, as the man led her through the beautiful flower gardens outside of the palace. The night sky was blanketed in stars, with the shining moon shining down on both of them. Glowing fireflies flew about._

_"It's quite wonderful, actually. You get to see so many beautiful places, meet so many people. It makes you see the world in a whole different way." The man said._

_"I've always wanted to see the world." Regina smiled, turning around to the man._

_"Perhaps we could go together then?" The man suggested. "We could explore the many different kingdoms, travel along the countryside, go to every market along the way."_

_Regina laughed, "We could find a horse and carriage and we'd take it as far as we could go and I'd never look back! Or-or maybe find a ship and sail to the end of the world together!" She smiled, but it soon fell. "...but mother would never allow it. I'm trapped inside the walls of my home, when all I want is to be free."_

_"Then, this is my promise to you." The man said, plucking a lilac from a nearby shrub. "One day, I will return to you with a lilac just like this and hopefully, you will remember the stranger that you met on the night of the ball so long ago. And we will see the world together."_

_Regina smiled, "It's a promise then. One day."_

_The man grasped her hands, placing the lilac in them. He gently kissed her hand, pulling back. "Excuse me a moment, my lady." The man said, bowing to her, before he made his way back inside._

_Regina smiled to herself, staring at the flower, gently touching the soft, colorful petals of the lilac._

_"Regina." Her name was called, alerting her, causing her to turn around._

_The Blue Fairy descended down upon her, floating in the air._

_Regina turned to her, cautiously. "Who are you?"_

_"I am the Blue Fairy. I am in dire need of your help."_

_"I never thought I'd meet a fairy, let alone two!" Regina paused, "How can I help you?"_

_The Blue Fairy paused and took a deep breath. "Earlier this evening, were you paid a visit by one of my fairies?"_

_"Well,...yes. Her name was Morgan." Regina exclaimed, excitedly. "She was wonderful. It's because of her I was able to attend the ball. She's lead me to the road of happiness. I can't thank her enough."_

_The Blue Fairy clutched her heart. "Oh, no."_

_"She used her fairy dust to create this wonderful gown! Isn't it beautiful?" She said twirling. "She really is an amazing fairy godmother?"_

_"That's what she told you?" The Blue Fairy clutched her wand. "And you believed her?"_

_Regina replied, hesitantly. "Of course."_

_"Regina. You must leave. You must get home at once. I will meet you there!"_

_"But-"_

_"Regina, this is no time to talk. You MUST head home at once! I shall meet you there." With that, the Blue Fairy ascended towards the sky and out of sight._

_Regina clutched her heart, wondering what could possibly be wrong. She stormed back into the great hall, heading for the castle gates, but her arm was grabbed by the masked man._

_"You're leaving so soon?" The man asked._

_"Yes, I'm sorry! I must get home!" Regina said turning back from him. "I'm so sorry!"_

_"But I-I-you said I might see your face after our dance. How will I know how to find you if I don't know who you are!" He continued to chase after her, as she made her way down towards her horse._

_She continued running._

_"What about our plans to see the world?"_

_"I'm so sorry, sir." Regina said, climbing onto her horse. "I should have never said anything. I should have never come to the ball. I should have never danced with you."_

_"Why?"_

_Regina looked over her shoulder, clutching the lilac, "Because now, I'm breaking your heart." She turned around. "Come on, Rocinante!"_

_"Will I see you again?!"_

_Regina looked back once more and whispered, "I hope so."_

* * *

The winged-demon blasted the group back, sending them trembling to their knees.

"Seriously?" David sighed, "What is that thing?"

Regina scoffed, "I'm going to ask what everyone's really thinking. How the hell do we defeat that thing?"

"This is a dark demon. It's a beast called Chernabog." Mother Superior confirmed.

"Chernabog?" Belle looked to the others. "I've read about a beast like this before. It's a creature of the dark, one that prowls the night, searching for souls to consume to live on. It's weakness is the light! It's the only thing that can defeat it."

Mary Margaret turned to Emma. "Emma, you are the strongest purveyor of light magic! You can do this."

"I believe in you, love." Hook said.

Emma shook her head, "I can't do this alone."

Regina stepped forward, "You won't!" The woman formed a fireball in her hands, sending it towards the dark demon. However, the winged creature caught it and slung it right back towards her.

Arthur jumped in front of Regina and held Excalibur in front of the two of them. "Look out!" The blade absorbed Chernabog's attack.

Mary Margaret turned to her husband. "Take the baby. I got this." From her satchel, she took out a bow and arrow.

"Whoa! Grandma! Where did you even get that?" Henry exclaimed.

Mary Margaret set up the arrow, aiming it straight towards Chernabog's head. She paused for a second before releasing the arrow, hitting her mark perfectly. Chernabog reacted for a second, before removing the arrow from his head, no harm being done.

Regina and Mother Superior tried blasting the demon again with their magic.

Chernabog turned to Hook and suddenly cast his hands downward. Hook stood still unable to leave. He let out a yell, clutching his head. Hook's soul began being pulled from his body, his body shaking and convulsing, as the life was being sucked out of him.

"Hook!" Emma yelled, running up to the creature. Chernabog pushed out his wings, sending an impulse that blasted them all to their knees.

Arthur looked next to him, his hand grasping Excalibur. "Emma. You can do this. We can do this."

Emma looked at him, determined and nodded. She took hold of Arthur's hand, helping the man to his feet, when Excalibur began to glow radiantly.

"Together." Emma nodded. "With out powers, we can do this together." She said, grasping onto the handle of the blade along with Arthur. Focusing their powers together, a light emerged from the blade heading directly towards the demon monster. The light grew brighter and brighter, as the creature let out a mighty roar. The white light grew to the point where nothing could be seen. Arthur and Emma both felt the immense power of the blade tremble beneath their grasps.

When the light faded, the creature was gone.

Hook fell to the ground, regaining his breath.

Arthur looked forward in shock. "We did it. We did it!" He turned to Emma, hugging her.

"Yeah, we did." She smiled at him, relieved. "It turns out we have more than one thing in common."

"Yeah, we both have our work cut out for us." Arthur finished.

"Is everyone alright?" Belle asked.

"I think we're all fine." David looked around, holding the baby. "What could have unleashed that monster?"

"I sense someone with even darker powers." Regina concluded.

"Then, our work here isn't done." Mary Margaret said. "Come on, let's get out of here before anything else happens."

"You guys, go. I'll catch up." Emma turned to Hook, crouching down next to the man who was still recovering from the brief attack. "Hey. Are you alright?"

"I'm on the mend, love." Hook said, smiling slightly. "And you?"

"Still terrified." Emma said, looking down.

"Why?"

"At the thought of losing you. For a second, I thought you weren't going to make it out of this fight alive." Emma said, tears forming in her eyes. "Today, I was told that...happy endings may not always last forever. And I thought mine was about to be ripped from me...and I don't know what I'd do without you." She embraced him, crying into his chest.

"Well, you don't have to worry, Swan." He ran a hand through her hair. "I'm not going anywhere." He brought his lips down to kiss the top of her head. The two of them stayed like that for some time, before returning to join the others.

They started to make their way out of the forest, before Mother Superior was stopped by Regina.

"Mother Superior, I know this is...unlikely, but Henry and I need your help."

* * *

Regina, Henry and Mother Superior returned to Regina's house.

"Yeah, we've been studying the book to realize the truth about it and everyone's happy endings." Henry said. "We'd figure we'd ask you since it seems that nobody knows more about the book than you."

"I'd be happy to help, Henry." Mother Superior said.

"Wait." Regina stopped them when they entered into the dining room. "It's gone."

"What?" Henry said.

"The book...it's gone."

Henry stared at his mother, confused and unsure. "Has someone broken in?"

Regina stared down at the dining room table, darkly, wondering who would have tricked her in such a way and stolen something from her.

* * *

_Regina returned to the stables, securing her horse, before the Blue Fairy descended down with her._

_"I don't understand. Why exactly are we in such a hurry?" Regina turned to the fairy._

_"Quickly, you must follow me." The fairy guided Regina towards her manor, as she entered into the main hall, followed by Regina. Once inside, she saw Morgan curled up in a ball, Cora's spell book in front of her._

_"Morgan!" The blue fairy called forth. "How dare you!? You have disobeyed every rule I have set for you."_

_"Leave me!" Morgan yelled._

_Regina looked between the two fairies. "I...I don't understand."_

_The Blue Fairy called. "Morgan, stop this obsession with seeking dark magic! It will only destroy you. How could you be a good fairy when your heart has been blackened?"_

_"I don't take orders from the likes of you anymore!" Morgan cried, almost insane, as her wand continued to absorb spells from Cora's book._

_Regina questioned, hurt. "This...this is why you sent me to the ball? As a distraction so...you could steal my mother's magic? I thought you were my fairy godmother. I trusted you."_

_"Morgan, look how you have hurt this poor girl!" The Blue Fairy cried._

_"Hurt her? I helped her. Without me, she would have never met the young fellow at the ball. You should both be thanking me for bringing the two together."_

_"You're help was far from needed, Morgan. I demand you to stop. This is your last warning."_

_Morgan continued absorbing the dark magic._

_"Then, you leave me no choice." The Blue Fairy sent a wave of light towards Morgan, which zapped her wand from her. Blue claimed the wand and hit it away from her._

_Morgan rose to her feet, enraged. "You! Give that back! That does not belong to you!"_

_"And now, it neither belongs to you. I gave you this wand to make good, not increase your dark powers! You don't deserve this wand, just as you don't deserve to be among our ranks." The Blue Fairy sighed and looked down. "Morgan, you are exiled from this land, never to return!"_

_Morgan enraged, slowly turned to Regina. "You...this is because of you."_

_"You leave her out of this!" The Blue Fairy cried._

_Morgan approached Regina, taking the lilac that she had in her hands. "You took away what I wanted...and now, I shall do the same to you." She began casting a spell over the lilac. "I don't need my wand to use magic."_

_"Morgan, stop!"_

_Morgan chanted over the flower. "I curse upon you, Regina, to never find happiness with the man you met tonight. Together, you shall only bring heartbreak and despair, never to know...true love. For as long as I live, you shall never find your happy ending with him."_

_Morgan crushed the lilac, dropping it to the floor, before she had disappeared._

_Regina fell to the floor, her hand going to hold the crushed flower._

* * *

_The masked man descended over the castle walls, climbing down a robe to his men below._

_"What did you find? Where's the loot?"_

_The man landed on the ground. "I'm sorry...I got distracted."_

_"So, you mean there's no treasure? That was the entire point of breaking into the castle! So, we could steal from the royals there! Come on, let's go!"_

_The man nodded, "I know...I know, but I met a woman, more beautiful than I had ever seen, well, I didn't exactly see her face...but I didn't need to." The man pulled the mask from his face._

_"She was lovely, Robin?" Little John said._

_"The loveliest." He smiled. "She truly was the fairest of them all."_

* * *

Night had fallen over Storybrooke and all was well after the eventful day.

Morgan descended down into the sinkhole, stopping in front of Merlin.

"Here. A gift." She dropped Henry's book in front of him. "You're in great need of it."

"Why?" Merlin questioned.

"So that you could place your story into the book...so everyone could see you for who you really are...and what you've done." She laughed to herself.

* * *

Regina stayed awake into the late hours of the night. She couldn't go to sleep. She couldn't help but think about where her happy ending would lead her. She hoped more than anything that her happy ending would come, but with each passing day, it seemed more like a distant dream. Would she ever be happy in Storybrooke? Would she ever be accepted as a hero? Would she always have her son? Would she find love again?

She was taken out of her thoughts when there was a knock on her door. She rose to her feet, wondering who it would be at this hour of the night. She opened the front door.

Robin Hood was standing there.

Chapter Four - The Sword in the Stone

As Morgan Le Fay destroys the town line, Regina questions how Robin managed to return at all and comes to a conclusion about her fate. Mr. Gold works with David to help Arthur regain his strength when he comes face to face with the black fairy, in pursuit of winning Belle's heart back. In both the Enchanted Forest and the Camelot of the past, the sword of Excalibur is forged in the midst of Rumplestiltskin's deals and tricks.


	4. The Sword in the Stone

_On the outskirts of King George's kingdom, a small farm sat on a wide expanse of rolling hills._

_On the farm, there was a small house where an impoverished couple had lived. The couple never had much and what little they did have, they earned from the coins that they had earned from their farming business._

_A woman was out in the front of the house, doing some planting in a small garden that was at the side of the house. Her husband came up to her from the inside of the house._

_"My dear!" He came up to her. "The letter has finally come! I've been drafted to fight in the Ogre Wars."_

_She sighed and looked down. "I knew this day would come. You know I never wanted you to leave for war, dear." She rose to her feet, touching her stomach and approaching him. "You're not just leaving me, but your child, too. What if you were to die, Lord forbid. How would your child feel if they were to be raised never knowing their father?"_

_"My dear, to fight in this war would be an honor. And if I were to die, I would hopefully die as someone my child could look up to. Please." The man practically begged._

_His wife sighed, saddened. "When are you to leave?"_

_"Tomorrow at dawn. It is quite a far journey from our land, three days at least."_

_"Tomorrow? So soon?" His wife asked, almost heart-broken._

_"Yes, the Ogres are ravaging through the kingdoms, even with the strongest of armies, it would take years to defeat their powerful forces."_

_His wife began to cry upon realization, "Which means you may never return..."_

_"My dear, please..."_

_She nodded, playing with the wedding ring that she had on her finger. "Promise me, promise that I will see you again."_

_"I promise."_

_She ran to her husband and embraced him, sadly smiling. "Then you had better start getting ready. Where are you headed?"_

_"Camelot."_

Chapter Four - The Sword in the Stone

Regina stood at the entrance of her home, speechless that the love of her life had suddenly returned to her, from out of the blue. She felt her heart leap out of her chest, but also felt confused and uncertain beyond belief.

She stumbled, unable to take her eyes off of him. "Robin. What...what are you...how are you here?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself, Regina. Whatever magical force that was preventing me from returning to Storybrooke was gone, vanquished. I was able to step right over the town line." Robin said.

Regina nodded, pushing a strand of hair from her face. She opened the door a little bit wider. "Would you...like to come in?"

"Thank you, I suppose we do have much to talk about."

She let him in and led him to her living room, where the two of them had taken a seat on the couch by the blazing fire.

Regina looked at him for a second, before continuing. "Where's Rowland and Marian? I can't imagine that you'd leave them behind in...wherever you were."

Robin shook his head, "New York City. I didn't leave them behind. They are outside the town line, in a small cabin that we had found in the woods. I was...unsure to bring Marian into the town, knowing what the Snow Queen's magic could do to her."

"And...why did you come back to Storybrooke, not even knowing if you would be able to enter the town."

"Marian." Robin said, honestly.

"What?"

"She saw that I was unhappy in the city and she was who convinced me to come back to the town, fully believing that I would find some way to return...and, we did."

She shook her head, confused. "And...then what exactly? You're going to live your life between Storybrooke and a cabin outside of the town? Robin, I can't ask you to do that. You'd be leaving your son behind and Marian, too. It's not right."

"Regina, I'm not leaving anyone behind." He sighed, getting a little bit closer. "I'm not sure if this plan will succeed, but I think that...true love's kiss could break this curse on Marian."

Regina sighed and got up, heading towards the fireplace, placing her hand on the mantle above it and looking at the blazing fire. "I knew this would happen. I knew that if I ever saw you again...you would have re-kindled your love for her." She turned back to him. "Thank you for telling me that you're back in town, the last thing I need is another unexpected surprise."

Robin got up to her, "Regina, Rowland is the one who will break this curse. The bond between a mother and her child is just as strong, if not stronger than that of romantic love. It's the love that they share that will save her."

Regina turned to him.

Robin approached her, "A true love's kiss between Marian and I wouldn't work...because I love you."

Robin leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, passionately. Regina was surprised for a moment, her eyes widening, having tried to suppress these emotional feelings that had welled up inside of her for so long. Soon though, she didn't care. Her hands rose to his neck, bringing him closer to her, as if to meld the two of them together. This is what she had missed for so long and with each kiss, she felt herself smiling more. He was back; he loved her and she loved him.

Little did she know, that it was the loved that they shared that had been cursed.

* * *

At Mary Margaret's apartment, Emma and Arthur were at the kitchen table, closely examining the sparkling blade of Excalibur.

Emma touched the handle of the blade, "So, you're telling me that...whatever it was that defeated that winged demon...you've never used powers like that before? I thought it was natural. This is Excalibur, isn't it like...the most powerful weapon in the world?"

Arthur began, "Well, yes, it is, and I can only assume that there was some magical properties when it came to the sword, but I have certainly never seen them myself."

David looked up from just putting the baby down for a nap. "Maybe it was light magic? Emma's the product of true love. She's probably the strongest user of it in Storybrooke."

Arthur looked up, "Light magic?"

"Uh, magic from love." David finished.

Arthur looked at Emma and raised his eyebrows, "Well, uh, I certainly like Emma, though I don't think I would describe our bond as true love. I'm not sure how Killian would feel about that."

Emma laughed, "Well, light magic can come from many things, maybe it was our combining powers or my magic becoming more powerful...I don't know."

Arthur smiled, looking at the blade. "Whatever it was, it was far more powerful than my blade could have ever been on its' own. You...are able to use magic, Emma, are you not?"

"Well, I'm still learning, but yeah, I know a few things, but if you are looking to start training in magic yourself, I'd give it quite a bit of thought. It's not as easy as others make it look."

"Others?" Arthur questioned.

"Yeah, like Regina and Mr. Gold. They have both trained me in magic and have taught me everything that I know. They're both very powerful when it comes to magic, but I doubt that they'd even understand this." Emma said, pointing to the sword of Excalibur.

It was then that Arthur had an idea.

* * *

Mary Margaret entered into Granny's diner, where she took a seat at one of the booths, joining Aurora and Ashley, who were already seated and enjoying their meal.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I'm late. You know how raising a newborn is. I barely get any sleep, let alone get much time to spend outside of being mayor and a teacher and..."

"Snow, we understand." Aurora cut her off.

"You're just stressed out, honey." Ashley said. "Maybe...take some time off, I'm sure the school would understand. After all, if it wasn't for you, the curse that brought us here never would have happened and there would be no school in the first place."

Mary Margaret laughed, "I doubt that they would accept that as an excuse for taking some time off."

"You just need some sleep, sweetie." Aurora nodded, "Believe me, it works wonders."

"Aurora, you were asleep for nearly thirty years. Isn't getting sleep a bit overrated to you?"

"Not when raising a newborn."

Mary Margaret sighed, "All right, that might be the case, but I don't have time to sleep. When I get back home, I have to take care of town regulations and papers to grade and planning The Royal Ball and..."

"The Royal Ball? What's that?" Ashley asked.

"Oh! It's a new...community festival I'm planning. You know how, back in our land, our kingdoms would have the most magical galas and festivals, it's something along the lines that I wanted to introduce to Storybrooke, sort of as an annual celebration to celebrate who we really are - something that everyone could go to, not just the royals."

"That sounds like fun."

"Yeah, but planning it...isn't exactly a walk in the park." Mary Margaret said.

Aurora looked at Snow. She could sense that the woman was tired and looked very worn down. "Snow, are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Really." Mary Margaret said, smiling.

* * *

Arthur got up from his seat at the kitchen table and went towards the door, before David looked up from the crib.

"Where are you going?" He asked, surprised Arthur had decided to leave when he was not one to head out into town alone.

"I'm...just going to head to the Library to read. It'll take my mind off of some things."

David raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't want anyone coming with you?"

"No, it's okay." Arthur shook his head. "I'll be fine on my own."

"Are you sure? Because just a few days ago, you seemed terrified of this place and were ready to take out Hook and I for doing, well, nothing."

Arthur looked back at him and replied, sternly. "David, I will be okay. Besides, you have a son to watch. Just because I am living with you and Snow for the time being, don't think that you have to spend your time taking care of me, either." With that, Arthur left the apartment, closing the door behind him.

David sighed and looked down at the sleeping baby.

"What was that all about?" Emma said, coming down the stairs.

"I...don't know." David replied.

"You want me to look in on it?"

"No, it's okay. I'll handle it." David said rising to his feet. "I'll go and talk to him. Something doesn't feel right here. You stay and look after your brother." He went towards the door.

"David, he does have a point, though." She said, catching his attention. "You do have a way of...taking care of people...and sometimes that might be a bit...I don't know, much for people to handle?"

"You think I'm overbearing?"

Emma defended, "I never said that. It's just...Arthur is not used to this. He's never had a family and the only person that has ever made him feel important is missing. Maybe he doesn't take well to someone else trying to 'take care' of him."

David replied, seriously. "I know that, but I've been in his shoes and when I was, I wish I had someone to make sure I was protected."

"He can take care of himself. Why is this so important to you, David?"

He turned back to her. "I don't know. It just is." With that, he left to chase after Arthur.

* * *

_Days had passed since her husband had left for war and already, the woman was greatly saddened by this._

_She stayed by the window, waiting intently for the day her husband would return to her and every time, she would work on cleaning the dishes and cups, cleaning the place for his arrival._

_But today, she was met with the sight of seeing King George's cart riding down the rolling hills towards the farm. Upon seeing his carriage, she dropped the cup she was cleaning to the ground and rushed outside to greet the cart._

_She stood before it and bowed._

_The driver of the cart slowed the horses to a stop, before stepping to the side and opened the cart's door. King George stepped outside of the cart and stood before her, wearing the finest red robes that a king could buy._

_"My lord, I am honored by your visit." She said, timidly._

_"The honor is mine." George said, walking towards the farm. "I can see hard times have hit you, Ruth. You have a husband that left you for war to die, a farm with barely any crops to offer and barely a coin to your name. How could you possibly take care of a child when you could barely take care of yourself?"_

_Ruth looked back at the man, "I do not know, my Lord. I will find some way to manage."_

_"Perhaps, I could make it easier for you. What do you say to a deal? If you hand over your farm, I will give you enough gold and riches to make you and your child's life worth living."_

_She looked at him, defiantly. "You could never make such an offer, not when you barely have enough gold to sate your own desires!"_

_George laughed, "True, while my riches may be dwindling, they are far from gone and I am still miles above your kind. Then, what say you to this? We forget the deal...and I just take the farm."_

_"No!"_

_George let out another laugh, "I'm looking to expand my kingdom and this patch of farmland shall be quite a nice place for a new castle, wouldn't you agree?"_

_Ruth rose to her feet, stumbling. "Please, let us keep the farm! I'll give you-"_

_"What do you have to give? As I've said, you barely have a coin to your name." George smirked, "In fact, what say you to this? If you can present me with five gold pieces in three days' time, then I shall let you keep the farm. Surely that's more than what this farm is worth. If you fail to do so, then the farm is mine." He proceeded back to his cart._

_"Five gold pieces? How am I to earn that?" She called out to him._

_"In three days time, Ruth! I will be back with more soldiers to take this farm if I must." He shouted back to her, before the car continued up the rolling hills._

_Ruth rushed back inside to the home, overcome with grief and anger. She took one of the cups and smashed it against the floor in a fit of rage._

_"My, my, my...making quite a mess, aren't we, dearie?" Rumplestiltskin appeared to her._

_"Who are you?" Ruth turned to him, shocked by the sudden intrusion of this strange man in her home. His skin looked wrinkled and golden, his eyes gleaming a glowing yellow, his hair frayed and dishevled._

_"Who, indeed. My name is Rumplestiltskin." He bowed before her._

_"Well...how may I help you?"_

_He giggled, "No, the question isn't if you will help me. Rather, how can I help you?"_

_"What?"_

_"King George is a brutal man, dearie? He'll take your farm without giving it much of a thought. Where would that leave you? Alone, without a home, twins to raise on your own." He said, in a sing-song voice._

_Ruth smiled, "Twins? I am to have twins?"_

_"Yes, dearie. I...can see the future and it says that you will bear TWO sons, both powerful, both cunning, both...your key to a better life, for them and for you..."_

_"How? The only thing that would start a better life would be saving this farm from King George's greed and that's...impossible. I have no money to offer."_

_He let out a laugh, "More like improbable...without me. While King George is a man who appreciates the value of a coin, money is not the only thing he's after..."_

_Ruth scoffed, "He's a king. What else could he possibly want?"_

_Rumplestiltskin smiled, "He's a king with a dead wife, no son to call his own." He placed his hands on Ruth's stomach. "And he wants...an heir."_

_She stepped back, shocked. "You can't mean-"_

_"Yes, dearie! Gold isn't the only thing George is looking for to suffice his price."_

_"No! I'd give him anything, but...to give up a child! I'd sooner give up the farm."_

_Rumplestiltskin paced back and forth, persuading her. "And where would that leave you? No roof over your heads, no food to give your children, no coins in your pocket, is that the life you want your children to lead? Wouldn't you think your son would be happier in the arms of a king?"_

_Ruth stumbled, knowing that what the man was saying was partially true. "My husband would never forgive that...and I have no way of even telling him of this deal."_

_"You leave that to me, dearie." He giggled, "I will tell him of everything, of King George, the twins and the deal. All you have to do..." He waved his hand and a contract appeared within it, "...is sign on the dotted line."_

_Ruth hesitated._

_"Come on, dearie. To give up one son to live the life as a prince, while the other, humbled and loving - ah, the prodigal son. The clock is ticking, dearie."_

_"If I agree, can you guarantee that my son will be happy with him?"_

_Rumplestiltskin laughed, "That, dearie, is entirely up to how George raises him. I shall fetch the child myself and deliver him personally to the royal king...and you, my dear, shall keep your farm and a child. Happily ever afters for everyone."_

_Ruth, still unsure, raised the inked-quill to the contract, signing her name._

_Rumplestiltskin giggled, "It's a deal...dearie."_

* * *

David ran down the street, chasing after the younger man.

"Arthur?! Arthur?!" He yelled.

"Lost the lad?" Hook said, coming down the street towards him.

"No, it's just...something seems off with him. I can't place my finger on it."

Hook raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. "Perhaps it's your overprotective nature."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because, mate, yo-" Hook stopped talking, as a light, airy red mist started floating his way. The mist surrounded both him and David, slowly entrancing the two of them. The two of them felt light-headed and soothed as the red mist surrounded their heads. It began leading them further down the street, pulling them, telling them to press on.

"What...what were you saying?" Hook said.

"Huh?" To which David replied. The two of them continued following the mist, entranced and captivated by it.

* * *

Arthur walked down Main Street and went towards Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop, with the intention of gaining help from him.

"Hello, Arthur."

Arthur stopped in his tracks and turned around to the familiar voice. "You. I thought I'd seen the last of you."

Morgan laughed and stepped towards him. "Oh, Arthur, still just as foolish as you always had been."

"Don't come any closer." Arthur said, raising Excalibur towards her. "I will defeat you just as I've done before?"

Morgan mocked, "Have you? As I recall, you ended up a stone pillar and I...obtained this." She said, lifting up Merlin's wand.

"That's Merlin's! Where did you get that? You know where Merlin is?! Tell me!" He said all at once.

She laughed, "And what fun would that be? Watching you bumble about Storybrooke lost and confused for the past couple of days has been more than enjoyable. You did the same in Camelot, if I recall correctly." She smirked, "At least this place is still standing."

"Camelot wasn't destroyed because of me! It was destroyed by you and what those damn curses had done to it!"

"And you did absolutely nothing to stop me..." She paced around him, whispering.

"That's not true." Arthur said, faintly.

David and Arthur walked down the street, following the red mist. The mist went straight to Morgan, who lifted up her palm, collecting the mist. David and Hook stood unmoving, still in a tranced state.

Arthur looked at the two of them. "David? Hook?"

Morgan laughed, "Oh, I'm sorry. They just couldn't help themselves. My charm always gets me what I want."

"Using your powers just as you've always done." Arthur scoffed, "Charming and captivating others with your fairy dust to become entranced by you. When without it, people would see you for what you really are, a witch with a dark heart."

She rolled her eyes and giggled, "A beautiful witch with a dark heart sounds better."

"Why, after everything you've done, you're still coming after me when I have done nothing to deserve it!"

"Because I still don't have what I want." Morgan smiled.

Arthur just stared at her, shaking his head.

"You know, I believe history has a tendency to repeat itself." She said, softly. "We make mistakes and promise to do better, but in the end, we know the inevitable will come. Storybrooke...will be ruined...because of this little vendatta you've refused to settle between us."

Arthur pointed his sword towards her.

Morgan smirked, reaching out her hand. "Just give me Excalibur...and all will end well."

"I doubt that! You will never get your hands on Excalibur!" Arthur charged towards her, leaping into the air, raising his sword up to bring it down upon her, but in an instant, she was gone and appeared behind him.

He quickly turned around lifting up his sword to deflect a powerful lighting bolt she sent his way. THe bolt richocheted off of the sword and into a nearby shop sign. He slashed the sword again, just narrowly missing Morgan's face, as she cast out her arm, tossing him back a couple feet to the floor.

He regained his composure, stepping back on both feet, before charging at her again. He jumped up into the air, attempting to strike her, but this time, she caught him in midair, levitating him a couple feet above the street. She approached him as he tried to struggle against the invisible grasp that was gripping his throat.

"You can't beat me, Arthur. You don't know the tricks that I do."

She cast him down, sending him to the floor with a crash. He lifted up his head, feeling dazed and heavy. His vision cleared just as he saw her approach him, menacingly.

"You should have given up when you had the chance, Arthur. It would have spared your life." A ball of fire appeared in her palm. She raised her hand and threw the fiery orb down towards him, but just as she did so, a magical shield appeared in front of the boy, which exploded the fiery orb into a thousand fiery embers.

Arthur looked in front of him in shock.

"Leave the boy alone." Gold said, appearing out of his shop. "Or you'll have to deal with me, too, dearie."

Morgan looked over her shoulder and growled, before turning back to Arthur. "He won't be able to protect you forever. I will return tonight for the blade and if you refuse, I will kill every living soul in Storybrooke." With that, she disappeared in a plume of swirling red smoke.

When she vanished, David and Hook became uncharmed, looking about, wondering what had happened.

"Well, that was rather a serious threat she made. I wouldn't take it lightly if I were you, lad." Gold said.

"She's as serious as they come." Arthur said stumbling to his feet. "Thank you for saving me back there."

"Who the hell was that?" David asked.

"Morgan Le Fay." Arthur looked at the three other men. "A very powerful fairy that had tortured Camelot for years. She's been after Excalibur all this time."

"Well, if she wants the blade that much, why not just give the vixen what she wants?" Hook said.

"No! That would be suicide!" Arthur said, looking towards the others. "Giving her this blade would render us all victims to her."

David walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Is this what earlier was about? I sensed that something was wrong."

Arthur looked up at him, "Yes...no...I don't know. I...just have this feeling something bad will happen that I can't shake. I was honestly going to Gold for help."

"Of course you were, dearie." Gold replied.

"To Gold?" David looked between Arthur and Gold. "You know, he has a penchant for making deals, right?"

Gold stepped up towards the boy, "Relax, Charming. It's not his deal to make. Now, I can help the boy."

* * *

_Ruth's husband trekked up the side of the mountain, along with the other soldiers as they headed towards the kingdom of Camelot. It had been days now since he had left his home behind him and his heart felt rather heavy and yet, he continued to press on._

_They reached the edge of the mountainous cliff and looked downward._

_"There it is." One of the soldiers said, looking down at the glorious kingdom of Camelot from above._

_The knight leading the men was known as Sir Balin, one of the strongest, most noble men to ever lead a troop to war. He was widely respected as a strong leader throughout the many realms and was both brave and dashing, always looking after every soldier in his troop._

_"Men, we are to proceed to Camelot with caution. The ogres are on the outer rim of the forest, approaching the kingdom, as we speak. If we were to act carelessly, it would be a death-wish for all of us. Move out!" The troops continued making their way down the side of the mountain, but Balin remained behind._

_Ruth's husband lagged behind slightly, struggling to upkeep the armor and equipment that he had carried. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm not used to the struggles of facing war."_

_"It's quite alright, man. Here." Balin said removing some of the equipment off of his friend's shoulders._

_"No, it's alright. I'll have to learn to tread on with the load." The man then asked, "Why do you tread behind when the other soldiers are up ahead and I am alone?"_

_Balin turned to him. "Because I believe that we are all equals and none shall travel alone. If we are to face this war, we do it as equals. I don't see each of my men as just an expendable soldier, I see them as friends. It's the only thing we can hope for going into war besides our lives."_

_The man laughed, "There are few that have your outlook on life."_

_"That's because there are few who learn to appreciate it."_

_Soon, the sun had set and the troop of over twenty men had set up camp at the base of the mountain. While the other men had already retired to their tents for the evening, Ruth's husband stayed awake by the fire, trying to keep warm on the dark and cold night._

_He thought about his wife and his home and the possible family that they would one day have living on their farm. His next thought was him wondering if he was going to live through the war to ever see it._

_He was taken out of his thoughts when he heard a giggle behind him._

_"Having second thoughts, are we?" Rumplestiltskin appeared to him._

_"Who are you?" The man stood up, grabbing his sword and pointing it towards the ghastly-looking man._

_"My, dearie, three days at war and you already believe your a true swordsman. Best to keep that belief as the ogres rip ya limb by limb." He giggled. "My name...is Rumplestiltskin. You see, I am a man who has a penchant for making deals and trades and my latest deal...was with your wife."_

_"Ruth!? How is she? What did she deal?" He asked, worriedly._

_Rumplestiltskin squinted, "You see, her fingers were rather tied. King Georhe arrived wanting the farm, she had nothing to offer...except her unborn child."_

_"She would offer up our only child!"_

_"Wrong, dearie. He has a twin brother."_

_"We'll have twins?"_

_"Weren't you listening?" Rumplestiltskin scoffed. "The deal is struck. There is no going back on my word. Your son will be a future prince and you...get to keep your farm. What do you care, you probably won't survive the ogre attack anyway!"_

_"I care because you're selling off my flesh and blood!" He got up and began trekking back up the mountain. "I must get home and put a stop to this!"_

_"What if I told you that there was another way." Rumplestiltskin called out to him._

_The man turned back, "What?"_

_Rumplestiltskin survived, "Yes, indeed. Another way, to make you more powerful and to save your son from his fate."_

_"How? How can you possibly help me?"_

_Rumplestiltskin giggled, "Ah, that is the question. I've heard the tales of the ingredients to make a powerful weapon, one capable of great wonder and terrible destruction, strong enough to stop this pesky little ogre problem in Camelot."_

_"Well, if it was so easy, why didn't you do it earlier?"_

_"It's a two man job. I can't do it."_

_"And you picked me?"_

_Rumplestiltskin stepped towards him. "Well, I wasn't going to pick anyone. I wanted someone who...I would benefit from."_

_"And what do you get out of it?"_

_Rumplestiltskin smiled, "All in due time. You see, to forge this powerful blade, the blade called excalibur, you need a fine set of ingredients. I've long since been searching for this weapon and know precisely what I need - the most beautiful gold, the darkest metal and the most radiant silver."_

_The man questioned, confused. "Alright, well, how you expect me to find those here?"_

_"Oh, I'm not. I will do the collecting and procuring of these items. Like I said, dearie, I make deals, I am quite persuasive."_

_"And then what? We put these ingredients together and forge the weapon, this Excalibur? I can save my son, the farm, become more powerful?"_

_"Precisely, dearie. I will return in two days time with these objects and then, we shall work a little magic!" Rumplestiltskin replied, rubbing his hands together, before giggling._

* * *

"Yes, dearie. There's strong magic here. I can see why that pesky Black Fairy wants the sword so badly." Gold said, lifting up Excalibur.

"You said you could help me? How?" Arthur said.

"Right, but first, there's a price to pay." Gold finished.

David stopped him. "No! Gold you said-"

"Right. The price is not Arthur's to pay." He turned to Hook. "It's his."

"And what could the crocodile possibly want after you've already tried to take everything from me?" Hook replied.

"A truce, to let bygones be bygones. Better yet, to have you tell Belle we have made such amends. You see, in order for me to win her heart back, I need her to believe that I am actually trying to be a better man."

Hook smirked, "And you can only do that by showing your every good action for all to see. If that's all it takes, then deal."

Gold smiled and turned back to Arthur. "Well, then, let's work a little magic!" He turned back to David and Hook. "If you don't mind leaving the two of us."

Hook and David stepped out of the shop, before Gold had turned back to Arthur.

"So, how are you going to help me? I doubt I can master this...'light magic' by dusk."

Gold walked to his counter, "No, no, dearie, we're not here to master magic. We're here to keep up appearances. To let you in on a few lessons..or rather, tricks, to appease the Black Fairy's wrath."

"What do you know? How can you help me defeat her?"

"I never said anything about defeating her. Rather, you're...leading her astray." He turned around revealing his dagger to Arthur. "As the Dark One, I can do many great and terrible things, but I am bound to the power of this dagger. Whoever takes hold of it, controls me to do as their heart desires. In pursuit of keeping and mastering my power, I learned to fear this dagger, trusting no one, not even my wife. I...gave her a fake dagger, having her believe that I trusted her enough to take care of it. I was truly...keeping up appearances, tricking others to believe what I wanted them to. I learned...to never underestimate the power of the thing that could destroy you." A small smirk appeared on Gold's face.

Arthur shook his head, confused. "Alright. Why are you telling me this?"

Gold nodded, "I think you know."

It then dawned on Arthur, a coy smile spreading across his face.

* * *

Morgan walked down into the Dwarf Mines, recalling the tales of how the dwarves would use their magical pick axes to mine fairy dust from the walls of their mines. She looked at one of the solid rock walls of the cavern, before raising Merlin's wand. She raised it to the wall before a powerful magical ray shot out, crumbling the rock wall in front of her, which opened into a small alcove.

She entered into the alcove looking above her, spotting the glowing flickering diamonds above her. She raised her hands up towards the diamonds, absorbing their power in her hands. The diamonds were grounded down into a small powder but after a moment, a dark aura surrounded Morgan's hands, cultivating and entrapping the dust in dark magic.

Morgan smiled to herself, carefully placing her cultivated dark fairy dust in her pocket.

* * *

Regina stood at the town line along with Robin. From inside of the town line, Regina could see Marian and Rowland just on the other side. Regina turned to Robin.

"Robin, I know your belief is strong, but what if this doesn't work?" She turned to him, worriedly.

"It will work. Trust me." He turned back to her before, stepping over the town line. Regina disappeared out of sight once he stepped over the line, as he made his way to Marian. "Now, remember what I told you to do, Marian." He knelt down beside Rowland. "Now, buddy, you love your mommy, don't you? You love her a whole lot."

Rowland nodded and smiled, "Uh-huh."

Robin smiled, "Good. It'll be your love that saves her. Now follow me." He took hold of Rowland's hand, leading him over the town line, followed by Marian. The moment Marian had stepped over the line, strands of her hair had turned white, patches of white frost appearing under her eyes; an internal chill was sent through her body.

"Regina!" Rowland called out, seeing the woman before him.

Regina smiled, "Rowland, wait, your mommy needs you."

Rowland turned back to his shivering mother. Marian knelt down next to him, taking hold of both sides of Rowland's face. "I love you, Rowland." She placed a kiss on the top of his head and from that kiss, a powerful surge of light shot out, engulfing the surrounding lands. A strong wind blew through the forest, as the ice spell that had cursed Marian was broken by love, returning her to her normal state.

Robin smiled and went over to Marian and his son, "You did it!"

Regina approached Marian. "Let me see." She waved her hand in front of Marian's face, trying to study if any cursed magic still lurked over Marian. She smiled. "Yes. The Snow Queen's magic is fully gone. You're alive and well."

Robin smiled and laughed, lifting Rowland into his arms. "Perhaps all of us can finally pursue a normal life in Storybrooke. Though, I doubt anything in this town would be far from normal." He began walking down the road with his son, Regina and Marian smiling behind him.

The two women began walking along the road. Regina broke the silence first, taking in Marian's new modern clothes. "I see the real world has taken its' effect on you."

Marian smiled and laughed, "Well, a few weeks in New York and that'll happen, I suppose. Just one day in that city and you'll see everything you could imagine. An ice spell was the least of my worries."

The two of them continued walking, before Marian spoke again. "Regina, I have to thank you for helping save my life many times."

Regina shook her head, "Marian, please, you really don't. I have put you through more than enough trouble and yet, here you are...still willing to watch your husband run off with the woman who's dark knights killed you in an alternate time."

"Regina, I told you, I will step out of the way so that Robin could be with you. I don't want him to feel obligated to stay with me out of honor. If I am to be with someone, I want it to be out of love. I want to be chosen and Robin - he's chosen you. I wasn't going to keep him from being unhappy.

Regina smiled lightly, "Well, you're a better woman than I could ever be."

"Well, that might be a case." Marian smiled back at her. "I know we haven't had the smoothest history together, but the evil queen that you once were isn't who you are now. At least I can see that clearly now."

The two women continued walking back to the town.

* * *

Mary Margaret was sitting at her desk in the mayor's office, grading papers and filing class worksheets into a folder, while balancing a phone between her shoulder and her ear. "Yes, Miss Ginger, I know." She finished the next paper, before turning to her notepad of notes she was taking to plan the Royal Ball, scribbling down some uncomprehensible notes that only she would understand.

"Yes, well, to get more information on that you'll have to contact the city zoning department." She continued, half-heartedly replying to the conversation. The baby suddenly let out a loud cry. Mary Margaret removed the phone from her ear, whispering to the baby. "Shh, it's okay. Don't you cry." She placed the phone back up to her ear. "Yes. Miss Ginger, I'm still here." The conversation soon became difficult to hear under the baby's crying. "No...I...I'm just the mayor, I can't oversee everything at once." The baby continued crying. "I know, I know it's my job." There was a click on the other end of the phone. "Hello?...Hello?" Mary Margaret sighed, hearing the cries from her child. She placed her hand on her forehead, closing her eyes.

* * *

Morgan returned to the fortress that she had established for herself within the destroyed sinkhole. She stepped in, reveling in Merlin's inprisonment behind the magical barrier.

She sighed, removing the magical barrier in front of Merlin, and achieving Henry's storybook from him. She placed the magical barrier up again. She opened the book and began flipping through the pages, examining the book closely.

"No, no, this won't do. You've yet to open this book and place your story in here, so Arthur might know the truth about you. You can't hide forever, Merlin." She tossed the book back down towards him.

"The book's powers are mysterious. I can't just wish to put my story in the book and have it be done."

Morgan scoffed. "Foolish man. That is exactly how it is done. It's just as that overbearing Blue Fairy said - our stories would reveal themselves." She paced to the back of the cavern. "You see, the book is made up of...memories. It's a collection of the past, who we were, our lives. All you have to do is remember your story...and you'll be in the book...just like the rest of them."

Merlin spoke up, "But If I recall correctly, you are not in the book, either."

"And I'm keeping it that way. I don't need others to know what I want when I can just take it."

The old wizard scoffed at the woman. "You want Excalibur. It's all you've ever wanted. You destroyed Camelot to get it."

Morgan let out a sickening giggle. "Oh, Merlin. Excalibur is just a small step towards something much greater. You see, at dusk tonight, if the boy refuses to hand over the blade, I shall kill everyone in Storybrooke, including him."

"No..." Merlin's eyes widened.

"It would quite defeat the purpose of my plans, but...I would love to pry Excalibur from his cold, dead hands." Morgan laughed.

Merlin remained silent, as Morgan approached him, waving his wand about.

"Now, Merlin. I believe you have a story to tell."

* * *

Mary Margaret was carefully rocking the baby back and forth while trying to calm his crying. As she stood rocking the child, she was still writing notes down on several papers scattered across her desk. She felt so tired and stressed. She felt like her patience about to snap.

"Please, sweetie! Please!" She begged to the child. "I'll do anything if you just stop crying!" She said with tears filling her eyes.

There was a knock on her office door, when Regina suddenly came in, a smile on her face. "He's back! Robin Hood! He came back to town last night."

Mary Margaret turned from her, still trying to calm her baby, barely even able to focus on what was being said to her over his cries. "That's nice."

Regina shook her head, smiling. "Mary Margaret, aren't you listening? I can finally be with him. I can have the happy ending I was looking for."

Mary Margaret sighed, "Regina, please..." She continued rocking the baby, who continued to cry.

"It's all happening so sudden, though. Marian's back in town, too, but things are actually going...suprisingly well between us. Though, there still leaves those mysteries in the book. If only I could just find it...

"Regina, now is REALLY not a good time." Mary Margaret said in-between Regina talking.

"Then, I could help everyone get their happy endings. Then, I would never be looked at as a villain again."

"REGINA, ENOUGH!" Mary Margaret snapped at her, causing Regina to instantly stop talking.

Regina stared at her, shocked.

"I have had it up to here with coddling you through all of this! The book never painted you as a villain, you WERE a villain! Nobody knows this better than me!" Mary Margaret practically shouted, "The fact that Emma and Henry are helping you at all is not a testament to how good we are, but to how much damn help you needed!"

Regina didn't know what to say. She was speechless. She didn't even know where this outburst from Mary Margaret came from.

"And you even being alive and in Storybrooke with a family should be your happy ending! You should consider yourself lucky after everything you've done to all of us!" Mary Margaret suddenly stopped, breathing heavily, tears in her eyes, from the sudden outburst, which she instantly regretted.

Regina slowly turned away from her.

"Regina, I-I'm sorry. I'm just...I'm so in over my head. I didn't mean that."

Regina turned back to her. "No, you did." With that, Regina stormed out of the office, leaving Mary Margaret to silently rock her child back and forth. She felt terrible. She was just so stressed and tired and had so many emotions building up within her and Regina just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. She didn't mean to take it out on her.

And now she felt terrible for what she had said, but another part of her was glad for saying it.

* * *

Belle was sitting at a table in Granny's with a book, reading intently while enjoying her meal. She saw someone take a seat in front of her and when she looked up, found that it was Hook.

"Hook. I-I didn't see you come in." She said, closing her book, "Can I help you with something?"

"Ah, no, lass. I actually come with good news." Hook raised his eyebrow. "You see, the Dark One and I have decided to make amends, just as you wanted days ago."

"Really?" Belle smiled. "You and Rumple are on good terms?"

Hook scratched the back of his head, "Well, I wouldn't necessarily 'good terms', but we've decided to leave the past where it belongs to focus on the present."

"Wow." Belle said her eyebrows raising, as her lips pouted in surprise. "That's rather...noble of both of you. I knew that he could better himself. It's just...re-assuring to see him actually taking steps.

"Yes, well, he's continuing to take them. Even now, he's helping the lad Arthur in facing his own challenges. He made sure I tell you of our reconciled differences." Hook got up from his seat.

"Oh." Belle said, her eyes following him.

Hook turned back to him, "You know, Belle, Rumplestiltskin and I have many differences. He was the deceiving sort, I've seen his monstrous ways, he may be a liar and an extortionist, but he does love you. Perhaps the one thing we have in common is that we both have a great amount of potential to love."

Belle watched as Hook exited the diner, feeling slightly better about her situation with her husband.

* * *

_At the base of the falls of Avalon, Rumplestiltskin and Ruth's husband had met with the ingredients that Rumplestiltskin had procured for them._

_"So, are we ready?"_

_Rumplestiltskin giggled, "Not quite yet, dearie. You see, I've the ingredients. I've received the gold from the kingdom of Midas, the metal from a cauldron in Prydain and the silver from a maiden who had no use for it, but we just have one more ingredient left to forge this blade."_

_"What is it?"_

_"A heart." The man questioned. "As in, a human heart? How do you plan on going about getting one of those?"_

_"I'm not going to get the heart, dearie." He giiggled, turning to the man. "You are. You see, a practitioner of dark magic can learn the ability of ripping the organ out of a living creature while it is still alive. The practitioner can then use the heart to control the being."_

_The man stuttered,"Dark magic? I've never used magic before and I'm certainly no practitioner of it. How do you expect me to achieve this heart?"_

_Rumplestiltskin waved his hand and in a moment, the man's right hand had a glowing golden aura around it, which soon faded. "There, now I've given you the power to perform the task. Though, the enchantment will only work once, no second chances. Make sure the heart you pick...is a good one."_

_"What is required of me?" The man asked._

_Rumple continued, "The heart that you take must be pure and good. Only a heart as strong as this will be able to forge a blade with ultimate power, one capable of changing your fate and saving your son?"_

_The man looked down at his hand and then back at Rumple. "And what is to happen to the man who's heart I take?"_

_"I thought it was obvious? They die." Rumple giggled._

_"Die?" He hated the idea of killing someone to get what he wanted, "Oh, I'm not sure that I can-"_

_"Do you want to save your son or not, dearie? Bumbling about the mountainside while the ogres rip you and your friends apart won't help. George will be arriving at your house in a day from now. If you were to change your mind, you know what the cost would be._

_The man looked at Rumple, feeling back into a corner with no other options._

_"Now, dearie, what are you going to do?" He smiled._

* * *

_The man trekked his way back to the campsite where he and the other troops had been staying. At this late hour of the night, the troops had already been sleeping in their tents scattered about the dark forests. The man made his way down a path through the woods, the only light coming from the nighttime stars and the moon above. From between the distant trees, he could just make out the embers of the small fire that marked their campsite._

_When he got back to the camp, he saw that Balin wask awake and sitting by the fire. When he saw the man approach, he rose to his feet, relieved. "There you are! When you had disappeared yesterday, I feared the worst. Thank the Lord you're alright. I'm staying awake just in case the ogres return. The ogres took out some of our men last night, but we at least managed to escape with our lives intact."_

_"I'm sure you led them well." The man said._

_Balin looked at him. "Are you alright?"_

_The man looked at him, sadness in his eyes. "You're a good man, far better than I could ever be. I'm sorry." With that, the man reached into Balin's chest with one swift move and took hold of his heart. Balin let out a cry, unable to speak or breathe. The man ripped the heart from his chest, as Balin dropped to the ground, unable to do anything._

_The man looked at the bright, glowing, red heart in his hand._

* * *

_The man returned to the base of Avalon Falls and made his way across a few stone landings before making his way towards a lake surrounded by waterfalls._

_"Ah, so I see that you've done it." Rumple called out to him. "And here I had my doubts. How did it feel to take the heart of the only friend you could possibly hope to make here?"_

_"You know how it felt. It feels terrible, but I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"_

_"We always have a choice, dearie." Rumplestiltskin took out the ingredients and went over to a stone at the center of the lake. "But alas, here we are." He started swirling his hands around the ingredients, a golden swirl of magic and light surrounding around them. He continued waving his hands around the ingredients, staring intently at them, as if studying them, combining them all together._

_He then motioned the man to step forward with the heart and he did so._

_Rumple turned back to him, "Now, take the heart and crush it. Take the ash from the heart and sprinkle it over the ingredients and thus, Excalibur shall be forged._

_The man took the heart and slowly squeezed it, crumpling it down to ash, which fell over the glowing ingredients. A bright glowing gleam shot out from the stone, the blade of Excalibur forged. When the bright gleam of light disappeared, the blade of Excalibur was encased in the stone._

_"It's beautiful." The man admired._

_"And powerful."_

_The man went up to the stone and pressed his hand against the smile, before pulling it. The sword did not budge. He tried again, but still the sword would not be removed from the stone, not even an inch. The man turned back to Rumplestiltskin. "Why can't I remove it?"_

_Rumple smiled and giggled. "Ah, because it's not yours to take, dearie."_

_"What?" The man questioned, enraged._

_Rumple paced back and forth. "You see, to wield Excalibur, you must have a heart that is pure and good, just like the heart your crushed to forge it and yours...isn't. That's the ruse. The creator cannot be the wielder."_

_"You tricked me! You said I could save my son! We had a deal!" The man argued._

_"Ah, yes, the Dark One lies, the Dark One tricks, but no deal was made. You acted on your own to make all of this happen. But know this, this blade WILL one day save your son's life." Rumple let out another giggle, before disappearing._

_The man crumbled to his knees, feeling defeated._

_That same evening, he had returned to the campsite and when stepping by the fire, saw the blood on his boots. He looked around and all over the campsite, bodies and severed limbs were scattered. The ogres had attacked and not one person survived._

_He slowly backed away from the camp, before turning to run back up the mountainside._

* * *

It was dusk and the town of Storybrooke was about to be blanketed by the night sky.

Arthur stepped outside of Gold's shop, staring at the clocktower above him. David was at his side. "Are you sure about this? She seems like a very powerful force to be reckoned with."

"Yes. David, please wait in the shop. This is my fight to face."

David nodded and began making his way back to Gold's.

Arthur turned back around and saw Morgan appear from out of the darkness of one of the alleys. When she saw the man holding the blade, she had a smirk on her face. She stopped a few feet in front of him.

"Well, Arthur? Have you made your choice? Are you really willing to fight me and risk the lives of everyone in Storybrooke, all just to keep a sword?"

Arthur shook his head and silently answered. "No. I can't do that. Out of my short time in this town, I've been welcomed with open arms. This may not be my home and they may not be my family, but it's the only thing I'll ever have that's like it. And I can't endanger them." He slowly placed the sword of Excalibur down on the ground. "Morgan, Excalibur is yours."

Morgan mischeviously smiled, reaching down to claim the blade. She tenderly placed her fingers along the sharp edge of the blade. "Wise choice, Arthur. Storybrooke gets to live to see another day, but not many more." With that, she disappered in an instant.

Arthur slowly moved backwards, before making his way back to Gold's shop. When he entered, David approached him.

"That was fast. You're alright?"

Arthur nodded, "Yeah, it went just as expected."

"I don't understand why you would give Excalibur right to her, though." David questioned, "You said she would cause much destruction in this town."

Gold smiled and looked down. "I may not know who this 'Morgan Le Fay' is, but trust me, she has no idea what I'm capable of. The Dark One lies, the Dark One tricks."

"What?" David looked at Gold.

Arthur moved behind the counter. "You see, with's Gold's help, Morgan doesn't have Excalibur, she only thinks she does." Arthur brought out Excalibur from behind the counter. "This, however, is quite real."

"She was given a fake, dearie." Gold smiled. "She will find out sooner or later, but until then, Storybrooke is safe. Now, we can start thinking of a way to take her out for good."

Arthur nodded, "Thank you, Gold. You've been a big help." He exited the shop, David following behind him.

Gold went back behind the counter, before the sound of footsteps at the back of the store caught his attention. Belle stepped into the main room of the store.

"Belle?" Gold said, surprised. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I know, Rumple. I, uhm, actually wanted to see you to thank you. Hook told me that the two of you had made amends and I appreciate it. I know you will never really be on the best terms with him, it's likely that I won't, either, but even just finding ways to rectify past mistakes, even with your enemies, shows me that you are changing. And I'm glad." Belle smiled.

Gold beamed down at her. "You don't know how much I needed to hear that, Belle." He leaned down to kiss her, but she pulled away from him and stepped back.

"Rumple, no."

Gold's smile fell. "But...I'm changing. I helped save the boy, everyone in Storybrooke. Without me, there might be an evil fairy wrecking havoc as we speak."

Belle stood firmly. "Yes, Rumple and I'm glad you helped, truly I am, but it's going to take more than just saving lives for me to take you back. I don't want you to start doing good things JUST to have me take you back. You have to do them because that's what your heart tells you to do. That's what being a hero is. That's what you need to do. And I know that you can do it, I've seen you do it before, Rumple. That's the man you want to become." She said, slowly backing towards the entrance.

Gold looked down, tears brimming in his eyes, "I just want you back..."

Belle turned to him, "And I want to see the man I fell in love with." She left the shop, leaving him alone. Rumple sighed, saddened in defeat.

* * *

Mary Margaret returned home, exhausted, holding the baby in her arms. Emma approached her.

"Whoa, mom, are you...okay?" Emma said, concernd.

"Yes, I'm fine." She sighed, sitting down on her bed, rocking Neal. "No, I'm not."

Emma sat down next to her. "What's wrong."

"Just everything. Work and school and raising a child, other mothers make it look so easy, all I do is pretend that it doesn't affect me, but Emma, it does. Today, I snapped at Regina. I probably said some of the most hurtful things towards her and I regret it."

Emma sighed, "Regina's a strong woman. She can handle it."

"I just thought being a mother would just be so easy...especially after seeing how well you turned out." Mary Margaret said, placing a hand on Emma's, "But then I realized, I was never there to raise you, I don't know what raising a child is like."

"Yeah..." Emma sighed, "That's its' own curse our family tree faces. You have to be the one to break it."

"I just want to be a good mother, make my son happy and give him his best chance."

Emma took the baby from her arms, "Well, you won't be able to do that unless you get some rest."

Mary Margaret looked at her, "Are you sure?"

"You need it and I'd love to spend some time with my baby brother. He's the only one I have." Emma smiled, rocking the baby.

Her mother smiled. "You really are a savior, Emma."

* * *

_Ruth let out an aguished scream from the pain of bearing twins. The midwife lectured her along the way. It was unlike any other pain that she had felt in her life, but it was soon over and the midwife presented her with two indentical twin boys. When they were placed in her arms, a beaming smiled grew on her face._

_Moments later, the door to their hut burst open and Rumplestiltskin appeared._

_He giggled, "Happy day, indeed. I'm afraid though, our deal stands, my dear."_

_"No!" Ruth said, trying to protect the babies, tears in her eyes._

_"Sorry, Ruth. A deal is a deal and King George needs a son. Never shall we speak of this again." In a flash, one of the babies disappeared from her arms and appeared in Rumple's. "Don't worry, I took the youngest, you spent the least amount of time with him, so you shouldn't miss him as much." He let out another giggle, before disappearing with the younger brother._

_Ruth cried, as she slowly rocked her child. "I'm so sorry, my love." She placed a kiss on the child's head. "I am sorry you will never know your brother and that I can never give you the life that I want to give you, butI am going to try to be the best mother I can possibly be to you. I love you, David."_

* * *

"David, you don't have to lecture me on everything! I will be alright." Arthur called back to him as they walked down Main Street.

"Look, all I'm saying is, you don't always have to fight these battles alone! That's what Emma and I and the others are here for." David defended.

"Look, I know you like protecting people, that's your thing, but...I'm not your son, I'm not your family and you have to trust me that I can take care of myself." He continued walking.

"Arthur, stop," David called out to him, making the younger man turn around. "We need to talk. Look, Emma told me that you've never had a good family situation. I've been through the same. I've had a drunk as a father, making promises he could never keep and a younger brother I've never met."

"Well, at least you have a family. That's what I've wanted my whole life. but I can't have that. All that matters when people look at me is running kingdoms or magic swords or holy grails. All I really want is a family, a mother or father or a brother, anyone."

David stopped him. "Arthur, that's what I'm trying to say. That's why I'm protecting you." He stopped to think. "I just have this inherent need to make sure you're safe. I can't explain it. I...just...I don't know. I feel like you're just supposed to be with us, like you were always supposed to."

Arthur looked at him, "David..."

"Look, what I'm saying is, I know that you've never had a family of your own, but maybe, you'd like to be a part of ours."

Arthur softened, "Really?"

David looked at him, sincerely. "And I know that it's a big step and I know you may not look at me like a father, I know how hard that is, but...I promise I could be the best big brother you could hope for."

Arthur brought his arms forward and embraced the man, closing his eyes. "Thank you."

As the two embraced, for the first time in his life, Arthur felt like he was a part of a family.

* * *

At the town line, Morgan smirked, holding up Excalibur in front of her.

"Until I get what I want, no one leaves this town." She smiled, sprinkling the dark pixie dust over the town line. The dark dust sunk into the town, before spreading and engulfing the town line in complete darkness. The puddle of darkness bubbled over and spread over the edge of the town.

Chapter Five - Knights of the Round Table

Arthur teams up with Emma, Hook and Belle to save Merlin, but as they do so, Morgan has her eyes set on manipulating Regina. Robin Hood finds himself in a serious predicament. In the Camelot of the past, Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table set off on a quest to find a holy grail with restorative powers that could save one of their own.


	5. Knights of the Round Table

Emma looked up from the kitchen table and turned to Arthur, "Okay, so if this Morgan Le Fay... believes that she has the Excalibur, I can't imagine that it will take her long to find out that she has a fake. She wants that blade for...something."

"It won't take her long at all." Arthur said, looking down at the real blade. "I was just buying myself some time to find a way to defeat her."

Hook turned to Arthur, "Well, you've face her before in the past, right mate? How have you fared then?"

"The last time I faced her, I was turned to stone." Arthur looked between the two of them. "The magic she practices are the darkest and most powerful magic I have ever seen in any realm. It'll take more than just slashing a sword at her to defeat her."

Emma sighed, "And I can imagine, once she finds out that she was given a fake, she won't be a happy camper and she'll go after you."

"It's more than just me. She'll go after you, Hook, your brother. There's nothing stopping her from hurting others to get what she wants. She doesn't care about people. She doesn't mind killing to get what she wants."

"Then, we need to stop her before we let that happen." Emma said.

"Mate, does she have a weakness? A source for her power? An unloved relationship with her family - something we could exploit to leverage the battlefield."

"Honestly, no. I don't think so." Arthur shook his head. "Back in Camelot, she was a fairy who's name was only whispered. No one ever sought out her weakness, no one dared to. People started referring to her as 'The Black Fairy' just because they became scared that if they used her real name, she would find them and strike them down on the spot."

"A name fitting her powers, I suppose." Hook said.

Emma placed her hand on her forehead, before looking up. "So, what do we do then?"

"When I faced her, she made it seem like...she knew where Merlin was." Arthur looked up at him. "If he is trapped somehow by her and we find him, maybe then we could be clued in on what Morgan is up to."

"It's a start." Hook said, getting up.

"Come on, he might be the key to stopping this...Black Fairy." Emma said, heading towards the door. "We've got a lot of ground to cover if we're going to find this wizard."

Chapter Five - Knights of the Round Table

Morgan held onto Excalibur, holding it up in front of Merlin. "Taking it from Arthur was more easier than I thought. I expected the boy to at least put up some fight, but he simply handed it over and ran away, like he's used to." She smirked, lowering herself down to Merlin's slouched position.

"That's because you threatened him and everyone in town. He did the right thing - sparing them from you terror, evil witch."

Morgan laughed, placing the sword right in front of the magical barrier, as if taunting Merlin by it. "Now, with this blade, the people in this town, will see me as their queen and they'll have no choice but to bow to me." She let out a hysterical laugh.

"Believe me, Morgan, this town may see you as many things, a queen is not one of them." Merlin closely watched Excalibur, trying to sense the power of the blade, but he couldn't. He couldn't sense the power behind it. Aside from Arthur, no on knew that sword better than him. Whatever Morgan was wielding, it wasn't powerful in the slightest.

"Well, Merlin, that's rich coming from you, when you've been a slave to me for weeks now." She revealed his wand from her robes. "Let's see...I have Excalibur. I have your wand and I have your heart. You have nothing, no magic, no power for yourself. They can't save you from your fate, Merlin. You've started all of this and only you're the one who can end it."

Merlin violently rose to his feet. "And when the time comes, I will be ready and I will take you down with me!"

Morgan leaned closer to him, smiling. "We shall see."

* * *

_Arthur awoke, the sunlight peaking through the castle bedroom window. It took him a few moments to fully realize that he was awake, before he turned over to whisper into Guinevere's ear._

_"Good morning, my love." He kissed her cheek._

_"Mmm..." Guinevere stirred from her sleep. "Arthur, let me sleep."_

_He chuckled lightly, "Alright, but I must go. The soldiers are meeting at the round table to discuss the future of our kingdom."_

_"Mmm. 'Our kingdom.' That sounds so strange to actually say out loud. Our kingdom."_

_Arthur got up and looked at her, "Well, is it not? Unless you being the queen is a bit of an intimidating role to step into. You certainly make the most beautiful queen that I have ever seen."_

_"Being queen is everything I would have hoped it would be. The luxury, the comfort, the servants..." Guinevere went on._

_"My dear, they are not servants. They are our people. There's more to being a king or queen than just having riches or living in a castle." Arthur said, "There's people to take care of and an entire kingdom that needs our direction to flourish. Don't you realize that?"_

_"Right." Guinevere simply replied, before rolling over, falling back asleep._

_"And Gwen-" Arthur began, turning back to her, only to find his wife had fallen back asleep. He should have expected this. Many of their mornings had been spent with Arthur talking about the kingdom's prosperity to Guinevere, who would typically just half-heartedly reply with her thoughts elsewhere or would simply fall back asleep. He sighed and turned to get dressed for the day._

_Arthur had called a meeting together for all of his royal soldiers. Together, he, along with his twelve soldiers, would sit around a round table in the center of the Hall of Flags in the King's castle. The hall had several flags draped from the castle ceilings of the hall, each bearing the royal crest of Camelot's kingdom. At the center of the table, there was a map that illustrated the entire realm of Camelot. Arthur would call together these meetings to discuss the future of Camelot's kingdom and missions that needed carrying out. Arthur sat, with Merlin at his side, all of his knights facing towards him as he spoke._

_"As the king of Camelot, one of my primary concerns is the safety for all my people. It wasn't too long ago when ogres attacked this land and nearly slaughtered everyone in the kingdom, but I will not have that happen again." He rose from his seat and pointed down towards the map. "I propose that the castle wall be extended along the northern perimeter of the kingdom, to block off any trespassing forces, while still giving the villagers the ability to gain access to the lakes at the eastern and southern regions. Our goal is to have it completed by the fall."_

_Goliath questioned, "My lord, how do you expect to complete such a massive project by then?"_

_"Don't worry, my boy." Merlin answered, "With my magic, we'll be able to complete this wall in no time!"_

_King Arthur, "Yes, but remember knights, we cannot always rely on Merlin to help with all of our situations. He's a great asset...and an even better friend to all of us." Arthur smiled at Merlin. "Now, onto our plans to discuss the tree clearing from the village to the lake."_

_"Well, I don't understand the purpose." Lancelot objected, "The villagers have always made their way through the woods without a path and have been more than fine. Why would we sacrifice our resources for no good reason?"_

_Merlin began to clutch at his heart, feeling a strange sensation._

_"Lancelot, the purpose for creating a path is to make it a convenience for villagers to travel to and from the village."_

_"As they always have been able to do, easily."_

_Merlin's vision began to blur, him stumbling back a few steps._

_"Lancelot, being a king means more than just reserving our resources. It also means knowing when to use them to appease our people."_

_"Well, of course you would know that, being 'king' and all."_

_"Lancelot, enough." Arthur commanded._

_Merlin suddenly fell back to the floor, unconscious. His body convulsed and spasmed._

_Arthur looked down at the man and rushed to his side. "Merlin! Merlin!?" The older soldiers rushed to his side. "Merlin!"_

* * *

Regina looked at herself in the mirror, throwing a blue blazer on to complete her look. She smiled at herself, confidently.

She walked outside of City Hall, walking up the sidewalk towards the door, her heels clacking with each step she took. She opened the door and made her way through the building. The other city officials in the building were shocked to see her confidently storm through. Without saying a word to them, she made her way to the building. She made her way to the door of the Mayor's Office and opened it, walking in.

She walked in, admiring the black and white interior details that she had installed when she was the mayor. She sashayed over to the desk, where she saw a label with Mary Margaret's name on it. She smiled and knocked the label off the desk, sending it to the floor. She made her way around to the other side of the desk, taking a seat in the mayor's chair.

Her hands ran along the edge of the desk. A small smile grew on her face, as she whispered.

"It's good to be back..."

* * *

Mary Margaret was resting on her bed, as David watched their son, when suddenly a crow landed on the windowsill. The landing of the bird caused Mary Margaret to stir and spot the bird on the windowsill. The crow left behind a note before flying off. She looked at David for a second before getting up from her nap and moving to open up the window. She took hold of the note and opened it up.

"What's that?" David stepped over to her.

She began reading the note, "It's Regina. She's...revoking my position of mayor...and re-instating herself?"

"What? Can she even do that?"

"I don't think it matters much in this town. All of our occupations were given to us by a curse."

David looked up from the note at her, "And you're not mad? You're okay with this?"

"...I'd be lying if I said this wasn't relieving. She'd actually be doing me a favor." Mary Margaret said.

"It would take some stress off of your shoulders." David said.

"And Regina has had the position before and regardless of how evil she may or may not have been at the time, she does have nearly thirty years of experience in the role." She looked down at the note, "I suppose the two of us aren't exactly on speaking terms just yet."

"You're still regretting that confrontation you had with her yesterday?"

Mary Margaret sighed and sat down on the bed. "How can I not? I saw how hurt she looked. I mean, a lot of what I said was just building up inside for awhile and she needed to hear it, but I should have gone about it differently."

David sat down next to her, "Just give her some space. You know how she is. Invading her space at a time when she is vulnerable typically doesn't end pleasantly."

"I know, I know." Mary Margaret said. "We've just both been trying to improve our relationship and I would hate for something to happen to it now."

"Don't worry, it won't. Even the closest families can have their arguments now and then."

She smiled, "Though, I doubt any of them involved poisoned apples and heart-crushing mothers."

"That might be a case." David smiled back at her.

* * *

"I've looked through every book in the library, but I couldn't find anything on Merlin or this Black Fairy...anything on Camelot." Belle said, looking up from the stack of books.

"Even if we were to find anything on them, who could tell if the story would lead us to clues?" Emma said, "The stories the world knows aren't exactly what had happened in the Enchanted Forest or Camelot...or wherever."

"So, we've reached a dead on our hunt already?" Hook asked.

"No, we've just reached a road block." Emma said, turning to her friend. "Arthur, do you recall anything about Merlin's disappearance."

"I don't know anything. Last I saw of him, we were both in Camelot as the second Dark Curse approached. Morgan made it awfully clear though that Merlin seemed to be in Storybrooke."

"Then, what say you, we search the entire damn town til we find the wizard?" Hook suggested.

Emma sighed, "That might take days and if this fairy catches on to us, she might just start playing games with us, leading us astray."

"Well, it might be difficult, but if we work together, we might find him sooner than we think." Belle suggested, "Emma, you're great at tracking people down and have experience of dealing with that in the real world. Arthur, you know more about Merlin than anyone would and you're very powerful. I'm book-smart. Hook, you're-"

"Devilishly handsome?" He interjected.

"I was going to say cunning and perceptive." Belle looked at them. "If we want to find Merlin, working together as a team might be our best chance in. We can combine our strengths together."

"I'm in." Emma said, "So, we're do we start?"

"Well, if the fairy is keeping Merlin captive as we suspect, she certainly wouldn't be keeping him out in the open anywhere." Hook said, "She'll want a good hiding spot - the woods, under the clock tower, away from any prying eyes."

"Well, it's a start." Arthur said, leading them out of the library. "Now, let's save Merlin before Morgan can cause any more damage."

* * *

_Arthur, along with his knights, had gathered at Merlin's bedside, watching closely over the sick man. The king lightly took hold of Merlin's hand, feeling distraught over the wizard's sickness._

_"Merlin, is there nothing that can heal you? Not even your magic?" Arthur asked._

_"I'm sorry, my boy. Even my magic is not powerful enough to heal me of this sickness. It's too strong. It's making its' way through my body even as we speak and if I am to die, I don't want our last moments to be ones of anguish." Merlin coughed, some blood falling from his mouth. "Arthur, there comes a time when everybody has to die, nothing lasts forever, especially people."_

_Arthur got up, "Well, I refuse to believe that your time has come, Merlin. I will find a way to heal you."_

_Arthur moved from the room, calling his knights to follow him. They left Merlin's room, leaving the handmaids to watch over him._

_"Is there nothing that we can do?" One of the guard called out._

_"He's already tried to use his magic on himself to no avail." Lancelot said, "If Merlin's own magic wasn't powerful enough to heal him, I doubt anything in this world would be possible to do so."_

_"You're wrong." One of the hooded knights called out, her voice echoing against the metal of her suit. "I've heard legends of a grail from this kingdom, one that has powers so magnificent, it can breathe newfound life into a person who is at death's door."_

_"You." Arthur turned to the knight. "You're not one of my knights. Who are you?"_

_The knight removed the helmet from her head. "My name is Mulan."_

_"A girl?" Lancelot questioned, "You have no business holding a sword, let alone joining our ranks."_

_"I can assure you and your king that I can protect myself and fight better than you and half of your men."_

_"Return home, girl." Lancelot finished._

_"Lancelot, please." Arthur turned from Lancelot to the woman. "What do you know of this grail?"_

_"When the emperor from my land was poisoned by a deadly invader, the people of my land also started looking for a cure, to no avail. It was then that I had heard the legends of the holy grail and its powers. I remember that it was hidden away deep within the walls of the abandoned Castle of Tintagel, never to be claimed."_

_"That castle has been dormant for years. Why has the holy grail never been claimed?" One of the knights called out._

_"It's not the castle you have to worry about, it's the beast that lurks inside of it. No one has ever been able to defeat it." Mulan confirmed._

_Arthur looked at her and nodded, "Well, I would say it's about time to change that. If it's the only way to cure Merlin, than it is what must be done."_

_Mulan stepped towards him, "Please, King Arthur, please let me go with you. It would be an honor to fight alongside your men."_

_"It will be dangerous, Mulan. I cannot guarantee your survival if you were to come with us."_

_"If that's the case, then say goodbye to those who knew me. I can not guarantee you're survival if I didn't come along, either. I know I may not be an official knight of the round table, but I would like to use this as a test - to show you and others that a woman is worthy of being a soldier - that she can fight and be just as strong as a man could."_

_Arthur smiled, "Then, you lead us. We'll be able to save Merlin and defeat this creature with your leadership."_

_"And then I will prove to everyone what I'm made of." Mulan turned around, her cape swaying behind her. "Knights, we must prepare to disembark for this journey. We have at least a half days worth of traveling to reach the castle. We leave at once." She said sternly, the knights nodding and heading out of the room._

_Arthur raised his eyebrows, surprised by Mulan's already established authority. He turned around to see that Lancelot hadn't moved._

_Arthur approached him, "Lancelot, you're...not coming?"_

_"I am not, Arthur."_

_"I don't understand. Why? Merlin has been like a father to the both of us." Arthur defended._

_Lancelot reassured him, "Arthur, relax. I think you will be fine with Mulan's leadership. She seems like a strong woman. I will stay behind to look after Merlin. I want to ensure his safety and would feel more comfortable knowing that he was being closely guarded."_

_Arthur smiled, "Thank you, Lancelot. You're a great friend." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "After everything that both of us have been through with Excalibur and me becoming king, you're still the closest friend I have."_

_Lancelot smiled and looked down at Arthur. "Well, you becoming king certainly did cause a strain in our friendship. I would be lying if I said I wasn't envious of you, but consider it water under the bridge."_

_Arthur smiled and shook Lancelot's hand. "I must go and prepare for the journey ahead of the knights."_

_"Safe travels, Arthur." Lancelot called out to him, smiling as he did so._

* * *

Morgan Le Fay was at the back of Gold's pawn shop, looking around to see if anyone was watching her. When she saw that no one was about, she crouched down next to the door lock and cast her hand forward, a magical spell turning the lock golden. Morgan tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. She let out a grunt, realizing the lock was protected by magic.

It didn't stop her. She made her hand into a fist and brought it down to the glass window next to the door, not caring about the blood that had collected in her hand. She unlocked the door and went inside. Once inside, she brought her other hand above the wound, casting a spell that made any trace of the wound vanish completely from her skin.

She smiled, before setting off to search the place.

* * *

Emma, Hook, Arthur and Belle were walking through the forest along the road towards the town line.

"I checked the well and didn't find any clues there. Everything looked as it normally would." Belle said.

"Ugh, geez." Emma sighed, "Well, if you were a dark, malevolent fairy, where would be a good place to put a fortress in a small town? Zelena had her abandoned farmhouse. Ingrid had her ice cave. Something I learned - any villains that inhabit Storybrooke certainly cherish their privacy."

Hook nodded, "Well, if we continue any farther, we'll reach the town line and if that old wizard has crossed it, who knows what would have happened? He'd be without his powers or possibly not able to return at all or maybe he's been turned into a flying monkey for all we know."

"Well..." Arthur began, "what if Merlin did leave the town? He'd be without his magic...and so would Morgan. He might have used that as a way to bait her into leaving Storybrooke, too so he could maybe finish her off, I don't know."

Belle started making her way towards the town line. "Well, we're nearby. It's at least worth taking a look."

"But if Merlin really did leave the town, I doubt that the Black Fairy would follow after her. If she was to step over the town line, her magic would be gone." Emma said, walking down towards the road. "Magic only exists in Storybrooke, but if she stepped over the line, nothing would stop anyone from putting their hands on her."

"I think we've got bigger problems, love. "Hook said, looking towards the town line.

When they looked up, they saw that the town line was completely incinerated, covered in bubbling darkness. Not only that, but the entire world beyond the town line wasn't visible, it was completely blanketed by darkness, which soon gave way to the white sky above them. The darkness bubbled and oozed over, as if dreadfully slowly inching towards them.

Emma looked the wall of darkness up and down. "What the hell is that?"

Belle stepped closer, examining it. "It looks like...a pool of complete darkness and the entire outside world is covered by this...this portal or wall. I can't see anything beyond it."

"Well, I think we have a pretty good idea of who put it there. She's keeping everyone in Storybrooke trapped here." Emma said, "Even if Merlin was on the other side, we'd have no way of getting to him."

"How about you try using Excalibur to blast through the wall, mate? It does possess powerful qualities." Hook suggested.

Arthur brought his sword forward, expecting some powerful force to emerge from the blade, but nothing happened. "Ugh, it's not working."

"Here. Let me try." Emma placed her hand on the sword alongside Arthur's, just like the last time they had done to produce their light magic, but still nothing happened.

"No, it's not taking the wall down." Belle said, getting closer to the wall.

"Watch out." Emma warned, "Don't get too close to that thing. Who knows what will happen?"

Belle continued, "This darkness looks just like the kind that surrounded Chernabog when he was summoned into the town."

"You think that fairy brought that demon to the town?" Hook said.

"Well, it makes sense. First, the demon appears, the fairy threatens Arthur and then this dark wall appears. It seems too much of a coincidence if you ask me."

Emma nodded, "Belle's right. Typically, when things happen in this town, they don't just happen on their own. There is some connection, somewhere."

"Then let's return to the battle site where we fought Chernabog. We might be led to our next clue there." Arthur said, leading them away from the wall, as the darkness continued to bubble over.

* * *

Regina and Robin sat down on the couch in front of the blazing fireplace in the mayor's office.

"You got your happily ever after after all, Regina. Just like I knew you would." He said.

Her fingers traced along the outside of his face. "For the longest time, I waited for this moment, wondering if it would ever come and, now that it has, I...I can't even begin to describe how happy I am." She smiled at him.

"Then, don't use any words at all." Robin said, taking Regina's hand and placing it over her heart. He leaned down to place a kiss on her lips, which she happily reciprocated. She moved her arms up to wrap around Robin's neck, as their kiss intensified.

As their kiss continued, Regina's phone went off. She reluctantly broke away from the kiss and went to pick up her phone.

"Hello?"

'Regina, it's Emma. You need to get down to the town line right away. There's darkness or...something blocking the town line."

Regina looked up, confused. "What?"

'Look, I don't really know. Just get down to the town line to see for yourself.'

"Alright, I'll be on my way." She put down the phone and turned to Robin. "I'm sorry, but I have to get down to the town line right away. Emma said that there was something happening there." She went over to him, placing a light kiss on his lips. "Even when I find happiness, she still finds a way to intervene. Figures."

"I'll come with you." Robin said, to Regina's surprised look. "Regina, I've spent too many days being separated from you. Now that I have you again, the last thing I want to do is let you out of my sight." Robin said, kissing her.

She pulled back with a smile on her face, giggling. "Then, we had better hurry..."

* * *

_Arthur, Mulan and the knights had spent the day traveling to the castle. They had made their way to the base of the mountain, where the castle sat at its' peaks._

_Arthur turned to Mulan as they made their way up the side of the mountain. "So, what do the legends say of this powerful beast? It must be incredibly powerful to have never been defeated."_

_"It is." Mulan confirmed, "Truth be told, I do not know much of the beast. Not many have had encounters with the creature and survived. They call it 'Mim'."_

_"Mim?"_

_"Yes, because the creature like to toy with its' victims minds. It doesn't see a fight as a battle, it sees it as a game, one that it always wins." Mulan said._

_"Well, perhaps we will be the victors this time." They had made it to the top of the mountain and arrived at the gates of the castle. The entire front of the castle had crumbled, making it easy to access, but did not necessarily shake the soldiers' nerves._

_"So, do we just enter in and fight the beast when it approaches?" Arthur said._

_"I'm afraid we have no choice." Mulan said, unsheathing her sword. "Follow me. Step where I step and do not make any sudden movements. We want to keep the creature unsuspecting of our infiltration for as long as possible."_

_A sudden roar shook the entire castle._

_"I don't think that will work out too well." He looked back at his men. "Come on, men. Let's go." Arthur and his men carefully followed closely behind Mulan, as they began to make their way into the bowels of the castle._

_Mulan continued, pointing her sword forward, entering into the large hall of the castle. "It is said that the grail is in the caverns beneath the castle. We find a way in."_

_Arthur looked at a few of the skeletal remains and charred bodies that cluttered about the hall, "By the looks of things, it seems that our predecessors couldn't find a way out." They continued deeper into the castle, before finding the entry into the cavern at the back of a tall stone wall. They had descended down into the cavern. Mulan took a plank of wood and flint from her pocket, lighting a small fire. They carefully made their way through the tunnels, careful not to alarm the beast. The tunnel that lead downward suddenly came to an end at a large chamber._

_Mulan looked forward. "There it is." She pointed forward towards the grail. The chalice looked completely ordinary. There were no beautiful jewels on the side of it. It was no adorned in gold. It was simply, just a dull, grey cup - but one with magnificent powers. It was covered in cobwebs and looked like it was made out of stone of some sort._

_Just as they moved towards it, a sudden roar shook the caverns._

_"We are not alone." Mulan said, turning around._

* * *

_Lancelot made his way through the castle and walked down the hall. Once he had made his way down to the end of the hall, he knocked on the door and waited._

_Guinevere opened the door and smiled at him. "I thought you'd never get here." She took him by the neck and kissed him, bringing him further into her room. They continued on, as he ravished her body in kisses._

_Lancelot smiled down at her, "I didn't think we'd ever get time alone together again."_

_"Well, can you blame us? It's so hard to sneak past Arthur and the other knights. With Merlin ill, it provides us with the perfect distraction." She kissed him again, "But these moments that we do have to share together, they make it all worthwhile." She smiled up at him, placing a hand on his cheek._

_Lancelot began, "You know, we wouldn't have to do all of this sneaking around if we just told Arthur the truth. It'd be easier for us to be together that way. We could both get what we want."_

_"Yes, but if I were to tell him, I would no longer be queen and...it's been a dream. I want both you and being a queen, but I can't choose."_

_"And yet you have." Lancelot said, bringing his hands down to her waist. "You would continue being with Arthur just to be queen, even if you are unhappy, when you could simply be with me and that be the end of it."_

_"Lancelot, please, can we not talk about this now." She smiled at him, tracing her finger along his jaw. "This will work out in the end, I promise. We will find a way to be together."_

_She brought her lips up to his for another kiss._

* * *

_The creature stormed its' way through the cavern. It looked like a red dragon of sorts, with a long pointed tail and yellow, beaming eyes. As it charged towards the soldiers, it let out a ferocious scream. It instantly sent a few of the men down towards the ground as it charged forward._

_"There it is!" Mulan said, calling out._

_The knights ducked around the scattered rocks and stone pillars of the cavern. They tried tossing their swords at the being, but it did nothing. The beast charged towards Mulan, who waved her torch ate it, as if to ward it off. The beast simply swatted the fire out of her grasp, before sending Mulan back with a blast of its' wings._

_With this distraction, Arthur used it as an advantage to climb onto the back of the demon and lifting up Excalibur, severing one of the creature's wings from its' body. The creature let out a blood-curdling scream and shook its' body back and forth, tossing Arthur off of him. It turned around to face the king, it's tongue sticking out, almost as if to taste Arthur. It opened its' jaws, as if to eat Arthur in a single snap of its' mouth. The knights tried to rush forward, but they were simply tossed out of the way by the creature. It had its' eyes set on Arthur and it was going to get what it wanted._

_Then, Mulan lunged forward, using her sword to cut the monster's tongue clean off. The tongue slithered on the floor like a snake. Arthur looked over in shock at what had just happened._

_From the attack, the monster then turned his attention over towards Mulan. With its' claw, the creature reached forward towards Mulan, blood dripping from its' mouth. It hoisted Mulan up into the air and opened its' massive jaws. It threw Mulan into its' mouth, swallowing and devouring the woman in a single moment._

_"No!" Arthur's screams echoed through the cavern._

_The monster stomped its' feet and let out another ferocious roar. It began advancing towards the knights, but soon stopped. It gulped again and again, as if something was trapped in its' throat, when suddenly, the side of the creatures neck began to point outward. A blade protruded from the creature's neck, slicing in a full circle with expert procision, until the entire head of the creature collapsed from the rest of the body, decapitated._

_Mulan emerged from the beast, stomach, bloodied and covered in intestines. She threw her hands down, tossing splatters of blood everywhere._

_Arthur rushed up to her. "You're alive! Are you alright?"_

_Mulan nodded, wiping some of the blood off of her face. "I'm alright, as long as I'm never swallowed by another monster again. I don't think I'll ever be able to catch my breath after a fight like that."_

_"That was...that was amazing." The king said, chuckling in astonishment. "I've never seen someone as fearless as you enter into battle like that...and the way you defeated that monster!"_

_The other knights surrounded Mulan, congratulating her and patting her on the shoulder. "It...it was nothing."_

_Arthur smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, Mulan, no it wasn't. You took on that beast alone, while me and my men were almost killed. You proved to everyone that a woman can hold her own with a sword just as well as a man could. My knights don't wear their armor because they are the strongest men in Camelot, they wear it because they are the noblest, most courageous people I know. Mulan, it would be an honor to ask you to join my Knights of the Round Table."_

_"The honor is mine, Arthur." Mulan extended her hand forward and shook Arthur's. "I believe, we found what we were looking for." She said, reaching down to the ground, picking up the grail that had fallen. She dusted some of the dirt off of it. "Now, we can save Merlin."_

_"All thanks to you." Arthur smiled, "Come on men, we must get back to the castle!" Arthur left the caverns, followed by Mulan and the other twelve knights._

_After the exited the cave, the ground beneath where the grail stood began to sink and cave-in._

* * *

Morgan desperately made her way through Gold's shop, searching and scouring every inch of the shop to find the object that she sought.

"My, my, my...so many visitors." Gold said, coming from the back of the shop. "You know, I keep the front of my shop unlocked. If only people were to read my operating hours."

"Don't test me." Morgan approached him. "I'll incinerate you on the spot."

Gold gawked in mock astonishment. "I'm shaking. Quite experienced at making a first impression, are you, Morgan?"

"Ah, so you've heard of me?" Morgan sneered, tracing her fingers along the edge of the counter. "I can assure you, the stories are true, only worse."

"Again, shaking." Gold smiled. "Now, why exactly would a powerful sorceress such as yourself be seeking something in my shop?"

"Because I know that you're a collector. I know that many of the objects from our world have found their way into your grasps." Morgan said leaning in closer to him. "I'm looking for something of my own."

"I'm afraid I have nothing of yours to give, dearie." Gold sneered.

"Oh? Is that so?" Morgan seductively brought the palm of her hand up to her lips, blowing a rest mist towards Gold's face. The mist swirled around his head before dissipating.

Gold smirked and smiled. "You're going to have to try harder than that, dearie. Your entrancement spells might work on the prince or the pirate, but they won't work on the Dark One."

Morgan's seductive appearance changed when she realized her plan didn't work. She let out an exasperated grunt. "Enough games, then. Where is my wand?"

He smiled. "I told you, dearie. I have nothing of yours to give. What could you possibly use that for when I knew you have Merlin's wand in your possession? They are both powerful, dearie - both the light and the dark. You can do wonderful and terrible things with both."

"Because what I want to do, I need both of the wands to summate enough power." She leaned forward. "Merlin's and mine..."

Gold smirked, "And what exactly are you planning to do?"

"Like I would tell you? You'd try to stop me every step of the way. You might have protected the boy yesterday, Rumple, but you can't protect him...or anyone in this town...forever. Now, give me my wand."

He turned around, "To obtain that, you would have to go back to the fairy who took it in the first place."

"Her? That idiot fairy has had it this entire time? I should have known." She began to storm towards the door.

"Careful, dearie. You chasing your dark desires is what will destroy you in the end. You'll be starting a war against everyone in Storybrooke and believe me, they will be out for blood."

She turned back to him. "Well, in case they are forgetting, I have Excalibur and I will take them down one at a time, one way or another."

Before she could exit, he spoke again. "I've always believed that...evil isn't born, it's made. So...how has the darkness corrupted you? Why are you a villain? Evil, perhaps?"

She turned back to him and sneered, "Because I choose to be."

Gold suspiciously watched Morgan as she exited his shop. Whatever she was brewing up, it wasn't good.

* * *

Emma, Arthur, Hook and Belle continued walking through the forest towards the battle grounds where they fought Chernabog. While Emma and Hook were slightly up ahead, Arthur and Belle lagged behind a bit.

"It must have been difficult...being a king and all." Belle said, turning to Arthur.

"Well, I enjoyed it, but it was. Having so many people rely on you and you having to take full responsibility for the kingdom, it's difficult, but I tried to do my best." He sighed, "Though, I have to say, it is relieving knowing that I am not a king here in Storybrooke."

"Wow. You really didn't enjoy being a king, did you?" Belle questioned.

"It's not that...it's just, have you ever wanted something so badly you'd do anything for it? I was like that when wanting Excalibur and becoming a king, but then you get what you've always wanted and you realize...maybe it's not everything that you thought it would be..." Arthur said, looking down.

Belle was about to speak, before Hook called out back to them.

"Well, this is the spot. See anything out of the ordinary?" Hook said, as he made his way through the forest towards the sinkhole.

"Not yet, but if we believe that Morgan was the one that that unleashed that creature, we can bet that there will be a clue here." Arthur said.

Emma stopped suddenly, looking around the area.

"Emma, what is it?" Belle asked, when she noticed the woman.

"Something feels off, doesn't it?" Emma looked around.

"I couldn't say." Hook said. "You're the one that has these powers that only you know how to use."

"No, Emma's right." Arthur continued. "Something feels strange here. I couldn't notice is before with that creature here, but now...it just feels...eerie?"

"I think I know what it is." Emma stepped towards the sinkhole.

"Love, you want to go down there?" Hook said, grabbing her hand. "It looks dangerous."

"And the perfect spot for our fairy to hold a wizard captive. No one would even think of looking to come down here."

"Emma - look." Belle pointed to the sand and mud that gathered at the entrance to the sinkhole. "Footprints. Someone was here and recently, too."

Emma raised her eyebrows, looking into the darkness of the cave. "Well, this fairy might be powerful, but she certainly isn't wise to covering her tracks." Emma entered into the cavern, followed closely by Arthur and the other two.

"I forgot how dark this place was." Emma said when she almost banged her head against a rock wall.

"You've been here before, love?" Hook questioned.

"Only once back when I first came to town. I can see not much has changed. It's still just as dark and unusual as it was back then - a great place for our villain to call home."

"What's that up ahead?" Belle questioned. "That light? What could possibly be causing that all the way down here?" They continued moving forward, the light growing brighter and brighter. Once they were about twenty feet from the light, they could finally make out the silhouette of a man.

"Merlin!" Arthur ran towards the light, his footsteps echoing against the cavern wall. "Merlin! We've found you."

Merlin, with newfound hope, rose to his feet, surprised and excited to see the group in front of them. "Arthur?! My boy, what are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"With help from my good friends. This is Emma, Belle and Hook. I knew I'd find you." He said back to them.

"I know who you are, Emma." Merlin said, looking at the blonde. "The Savior."

"Wait, Emma, you're the savior?" Arthur looked at her. "You're the key! If we work together, we can use our powers to stop Morgan Le Fay. It is just of the prophecy Merlin told me all those years ago?"

Emma looked speechless, "With all due respect, Merlin, how could you know so much about me and this...prophecy when we've never even met?"

"It would be hard to not know about you, love." Hook interjected.

"It is just as Rumplestiltskin told me all those years ago, Emma."

"Of course, he would be the one to tell you." Emma said. "He knows far more than what he's willing to let you believe."

Merlin continued, "But, yes, with this prophecy, Emma, only you and Arthur can defeat Morgan. It was she that placed me down here in the first place. I've been a prisoner here for weeks now!" He chuckled, "It's quite good to see more wholesome company."

"Well, you don't have to wait any longer, Merlin. We're getting you out of here." Arthur said, holding Excalibur in front of the magical barrier. The sword's powers absorbed the magic and destroyed the barrier, releasing Merlin.

"That's all it took?" Belle raised her eyebrows. "I think this fairy is greatly underestimating who she's dealing with.

Merlin smiled, "You had it! You had Excalibur all this time, didn't you? You tricked her!" Merlin said, approaching the man. "I always knew you were a wise boy, lad! We must tread carefully if we are to escape. She took my magic, I have no powers without it."

"He's right." Emma said, "We did what we came here to do. Let's get the hell out of here before that fairy realizes that we've one-upped her every step of the way."

Arthur stopped and turned to Merlin. "Wait. I've waited too long for this." He wrapped his arms around the older man, embracing the wizard. "I missed you, Merlin."

The old wizard placed a loving kiss on the top of the young man's head. "I missed you, too, my boy."

As they had made their way out of the cavern, they were too busy with the reunion of the king and the old wizard to realize that they had not even noticed Henry's missing storybook.

* * *

_Arthur and the other knights raced up the tower stairs to Merlin's bed chamber. They had reached the room and entered, Arthur moving towards Merlin's side. Merlin's breath came slow and ragged, his eyes closed. He gave the grail to Mulan._

_"Mulan, please. Fill this with water. We must heal him immediately." As Mulan went off, Arthur turned back to Merlin, who had turned pale and was slowly losing breath. "Don't worry, Merlin. We will save you. Just hold on a little longer."_

_Mulan returned a few moments later with the chalice filled with water. "Here." Mulan said, handing the cup to Arthur, who gently tipped it into Merlin's mouth, allowing him to drink the water. As soon as Arthur had poured the water into Merlin's mouth, the color to the wizard's skin returned and his breathing returned to normal. Moments later, Merlin opened his eyes and sprung up from the bed._

_Arthur looked at him, cautiously, "Well...?"_

_Merlin clutched his chest for a moment, before smiling. "All better."_

_Mulan and the other knights smiled._

_Arthur rushed forward to embrace the man. "Oh, you have no idea how worried I was. I don't know what I would do without you, Merlin."_

_"Well, thankfully, you won't have to find out."_

_Arthur turned to Mulan. "And it's all thank to her. Without her help, we never would have been able to save you."_

_"Who is she?" Merlin questioned._

_Arthur smiled, "Her name is Mulan and she is the newest knight welcomed to the Round Table."_

_Mulan stepped forward and bowed before the older wizard. "It is an honor to meet you, Sir Merlin."_

_"I must inform Guinevere and Lancelot of your health, Merlin! They will be so relieved." Arthur left the room and raced down the hall towards the opposite side of the castle. He made it to his room and opened the door._

_"Guiene-"_

_Guinevere and Lancelot were kissing on Arthur's bed and broke the kiss at the sudden intrusion, both with equally shocked expressions on their faces. Arthur sighed and looked down, feeling betrayed in the worst possible way._

* * *

Regina and Robin had made it to the town line, when they got out to inspect whatever Emma had called her about earlier.

"I...think that could be a problem." Robin said, taking a look at the darkness.

"What the hell is that?" Regina inspected it. "This is powerful magic, unlike any I've ever seen in Storybrooke. It's completely blocking anyone from exiting the town."

"Do you think that it's safe?" Robin said, moving in closer to the pool of darkness.

"Whatever it is, don't touch it. It can't be good." Regina warned.

Suddenly, the pool of darkness bubbled over and moved beneath Robin's feet. Robin fell deeper into the darkness, as if he was being swallowed whole by it.

"Robin!" Regina called out, falling to the floor and stretching out her hand towards him.

"Regina!" He extended his hand out to hers, grabbing it, but the darkness kept on pulling him further and further into the current. He couldn't hold onto her much longer. He looked back up at her, feeling his body sinking into the darkness. "Regina, I love you." With that, he was sucked into the current of darkness, letting go of Regina's hand and vanishing out of sight.

"No!" Regina choked out, holding back her tears.

"Oops." Morgan appeared behind her. "Such a shame your love can never last, now can it?"

Regina turned around, recognizing the voice. "You. What the hell do you want? I thought I'd seen the last of you."

Morgan laughed, "Oh, Regina. You're pathetic sometimes. Still chasing after the love that was cursed upon you so long ago?" She raised an eyebrow, "Oh, you didn't know, did you? It was he that you danced with so long ago at the ball. It's your love that is cursed...all because of me."

Regina's hands formed into fists, as her anger grew.

"Don't worry, though. He's still alive. Just...lost to you forever. When you enter into that darkness, there's no return from it. You will never see him again." She laughed to herself. "It's just as I told you, Regina, as long as I am alive, you shall never find happiness with him. Consider it me doing you a favor and sparing you a lifetime of pain and misery."

Regina got up to her feet and stormed towards Morgan. "Then, I will find a way to destroy you. It's you, isn't it? You're the one that brought that dark creature to town? You're going after Arthur. Well, whatever it is you want, you won't get it. I'll make sure of that."

"Oh, I actually think you'll play a big part in making sure I'll get exactly what I want."

Regina extended her arm out to use her powers on Morgan, but just as she did so, the fairy disappeared. Regina was left by herself at what used to be the town line, as she stared down into the deep darkness that Robin had sunk into moments ago.

* * *

Emma, Hook, Arthur and Belle led Merlin back up the steps to Mary Margaret's loft.

Merlin smiled, making his way up the stairs. "It sounds like you've already had quite the adventure here in Storybrooke."

"You don't know the half of it. I would take fighting dragons over fighting those town monsters any day. What do you call them?"

"Cars, mate. They're called cars." Hook said.

"Right. Still getting used to them." Arthur said. They had entered into Mary Margaret's apartment.

Mary Margaret sprung up with the baby, "Did you find him? Did you find Merlin?"

Emma smiled, leading the old wizard into the house. "Did you ever have any doubt? Merlin, this is my mother, Mary Margaret."

The woman embraced the man. "Uhh, Snow White back in our world."

"It's very nice to meet you, Snow." Merlin smiled at the woman, "I have heard many tales of your bravery."

"And this is my father, David." Emma said, introducing the wizard to him.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Merlin." David extended his hand out to him.

Merlin stood there for a moment, looking into David's eyes, as if memorizing his face. "David..."

David stood there for a moment, "Is everything alright?"

Merlin finally took David's hand, "Oh, yes, everything is fine. Sorry, it's just...it's great to finally meet the man I've heard so many good things about."

"Mary Margaret and David have been great to me. They took me in. They're like family to me." Arthur smiled, looking at both of them.

"Yeah, and we're all working together to make sure that Arthur is protected. You, too." Emma said. "This Morgan Le Fay, she's...she's bad news for sure, but if we all work together to stop her, we can do it. If this prophecy is true, Arthur and I can stop her."

"While I believe that, we have to act carefully." Merlin said, "She doesn't just have my magic, but my heart, too. She can control me and do as she wishes."

"Well, easy solution." David said, "We get your heart back. Level the playing field and take this Black Fairy out for good."

"Wow. You would really go to such lengths to do so?" Merlin asked, astonished.

"Merlin, when Arthur came to town, we made sure that he was safe and protected..." Mary Margaret started.

"And now, we're going to do the same for you." David finished. "It's just...what we do."

Merlin turned to Arthur. "My boy, you have made some great friends...and family." The old wizard looked at all of them, but stopped to look at both David and Arthur. "More family than you know, perhaps."

* * *

_Guinevere and Lancelot got up from the bed when Arthur walked in. She straightened and approached him._

_"Arthur, please. I can explain,"_

_The king stumbled back. "Oh, my God. You two...behind my back. This entire time?"_

_Guinevere and Lancelot looked at each other, not able to say anything before turning back to the betrayed king._

_Arthur turned around. "I can't believe you two - to be betrayed by the two of you of all, people?"_

_"Arthur, please..." Lancelot began._

_"Did you even stay with Merlin at all on his deathbed?" Arthur continued._

_Lancelot couldn't say anything and just shook his head._

_Arthur let out a deep sigh, feeling his heart being ripped to shreds. He truly loved Guinevere and now, he just felt...empty. "Oh my God, this is disgusting." He clutched his stomach._

_"Arthur..." Guinevere plead to him._

_"Lancelot, please leave me and my wife." He directed the man to leave. "I will be with you in a moment." Once Lancelot had exited, he turned back to his wife. "Why, Guinevere? Why would you do this? I thought you loved me?"_

_"I do, Arthur. I do, but-" She stopped. "It's just not everything that I thought it would be. I love you, Arthur, but I also love being a queen."_

_Arthur looked down at her. "And you also love Lancelot?"_

_She sighed and looked down. "I do."_

_Arthur inhaled deeply and looked down. "Then, I hope your happiness with him is everything you think it will be, but you won't be my queen." Arthur looked at her with tears in his eyes. "You don't deserve to be."_

_"Arthur.."_

_"No!" He turned to her, closing his eyes, not wanting to look at her. He trembled. "Please leave." He could tell she didn't move. "Go!"_

_"Is this really what you wish, Arthur?" Guinevere said, hurt._

_Arthur nodded his head and pointed towards the door, trying to keep his tears from flowing._

_"I do love you, Arthur..." She said to him, before leaving the room and walking past Lancelot. She gave her other love a quick glance before exiting the palace._

_In his room, Arthur had wiped away the tears that had fallen and turned around to face his friend. He began to walk out of this bed chamber towards Lancelot._

_"Arthur, please. we ca-"_

_Arthur punched Lancelot in the face, sending him to the floor. "How dare you. You were supposed to be my friend. You were supposed to be there for me and you betray me like this? You're not brave, you're not noble, you're pathetic."_

_"It all happened so fast, Arthur, please." Lancelot defended._

_"You should have never let it happen at all! That's not what friends do to one another! I'm realizing now that...Lancelot, you've never been a genuine friend to me. This makes it perfectly clear."_

_"Arthur."_

_"No, you don't get to say anything. You took my love from me and didn't even have the decency to be honest with her or me about it. If this is the kind of friend you are, what kind of husband would you be to her? I hope you're everything she thinks you are." Arthur began to walk away from him. "Lancelot, you're banished from our land. I never want to see you in Camelot again..."_

_Lancelot got up from the floor. "Arthur, please, what about the Knights of the Round Table? My position?!"_

_Arthur turned back to him, "We'll be able to continue on without you, just as we did today. It's not like you ever cared about me or the other knights anyway. Even today, you were supposed to protect Merlin, but you were far too busy with my wife. Leave at once." He closed his bed chamber door behind him, closing Lancelot out of his life for good._

_Secluded in his room, he slumped down to the floor, finally letting the tears fall from his eyes without control. He felt his heart ripped in two, betrayed by the woman he loved and his best friend. He secluded himself in his tower for the rest of the evening, never to say anything or be seen._

* * *

_From within the castle caves, as the sunken in spot of land, the ground began to crumble and shake, as Morgan Le Fay emerged from the castle grounds, smoke and mist emerging around her. She let out a stretch, having been trapped down there for too long._

_A smile appeared across her face._

* * *

At Mary Margaret's loft, Belle took a seat next to Arthur. "So, when we were talking earlier today...you mentioned how...the things we want in life aren't always what we think that we want. I can assume things didn't go well."

"You would assume right, Belle." Arthur nodded and looked at her, "But you know what, if I had known the things I know now back then, I would have done everything differently."

"How?" Belle said.

"I wouldn't have run away from my problems. I wouldn't have let...my anger or sadness get the better of me. I would face my problems the way that they deserve to be faced. Running away from them...is only running away from the solution, too."

Belle nodded in realization and suddenly got up from her seat. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

Arthur looked at her, surprised. "Did I say something?"

Belle looked back at him and smiled. "Yes and I'm glad you did. It's time to fix some problems."

* * *

Morgan entered into the sinkhole, descending down into the darkness, only to discover her magical barrier shattered and Merlin missing. She filled with rage and anger. She raised Merlin's wand towards the sky.

"Meeeeerliiiiiin!" A bolt of lightning protruded from the wand, catalyzed by her pure anger.

* * *

Regina entered into Gold's shop, anger in her eyes.

"Good evening, Regina. That's quite a look on your face, dearie - one I haven't seen in a long while." Gold smirked.

"I am sick of this. I am sick of my happiness constantly being ripped from me."

Gold examined the objects behind his counter. "And what happened now?"

Regina sneered, "Morgan Le Fay. Robin is gone, once again, to a world of darkness and all because of her..."

Gold looked up at her, "Well, then, it seems that we both have issues within our love life that we have to overcome, don't we?"

Regina let out an exasperated grunt, pacing back and forth across the store.

"You can either let that anger drive you to madness, dearie, or you can use it to teach Morgan Le Fay never to interfere with your happiness again..."Gold looked up at her, a coy smile on his face. "Are you going to let some fairy interfere with your true love?" He walked up towards her. "After all, you...are the Evil Queen. You know how powerful you are. Don't fool yourself into thinking your any less powerful than her, dearie."

A small smile grew across Regina's lips, her back turned to him.

Gold continued, "Don't let her threaten you in 'our' town." He smiled, "So, dearie? What are you going to do?"

Regina turned back to him and smiled.

"I'm gonna burn this bitch at the stake."

Chapter Six - Heart of Light

When the battle to stop Morgan Le Fay comes to a head, Regina decides to take matters into her own hands, unleashing a confronation between the Evil Queen and the Black Fairy, but when Morgan takes a new hostage as her own, Regina teams up with an unlikely alliance. The Charmings fight to retrieve Merlin's heart, but there may be a terrible cost. In the Enchanted Forest of the past, Snow White is on the run from the Evil Queen, but an unexpected encounter with a king could either seal her death or lead her towards her happily ever after.


	6. Heart of Light

Morgan looked down at the empty cavern in front of her. Enraged, she went down to pick up Henry's storybook, only to open it and discover that the entire book had been wiped clean. There were no pictures, no words, nothing. She flipped through the pages, rapidly, but found nothing. She took out Merlin's wand and waved it over the pages of the book, to see if the magic would somehow reveal the secrets of the book, but nothing happened.

With a frustrated grunt, she tossed the book to the floor, before disappearing in a cloud of red smoke.

* * *

Regina sat down next to Marian on a fallen tree as their conversation continued. They were deep within the forest, where the merry men had set up their camp.

"What do you mean Robin is missing?" Marian replied nervously, watching between Regina and Rowland, who was with the other merry men.

"Last night, he fell into a portal of darkness at the town line. It's preventing everyone from stepping foot outside of this town."

Marian's eyes widened. "What? Is Robin alive? Who could have done this?"

Regina sighed, whispering. "Her name is Morgan Le Fay. She told me that Robin was still alive just...lost to me forever. I don't even know what to believe."

"How do we save him? How do we stop her?" She said softly, trying not to alert her son or the other men to the intense conversation.

"I think the only way to save him and to stop her would...be to kill her."

Marian looked away, "If she is a danger to us, my son, the rest of Storybrooke, then isn't that what we must do?"

Regina shook her head, concerned. "Marian, do you know how dangerous this is? This is no simple snow queen we are dealing with. This is a dark fairy we are dealing with, someone who is skilled in the darkest of magic. I may be the Evil Queen, but even I look like a cotton candy rainbow trail compared to her."

"What would Rowland think? Having his father just vanish?" Marian sighed.

"I don't know. What I do know is that all of Storybrooke is going to find themselves in over their heads if we don't do something soon."

"That you are." A voice replied from behind them.

"Mommy, help!" Rowland cried out, as his shoulders were being held down by Morgan.

Regina rose to her feet, advancing towards the woman. "Morgan. Leave him alone."

The merry men charged to their feet, grabbing their weapons and headed towards the dark fairy.

With a smirk on her face, she simply cast out her hand, freezing the half dozen of the merry men in place, each of them turning into a stone statue.

"You." Marian rose to her feet, pulling out a bow and arrow from beside her. "Do not put your hands on my son." She shot an arrow towards Morgan, who caught it in her hand. She tossed the arrow back towards Regina, who disintegrated it with a fireball she formed in her hand.

"Mommy!" Rowland called out again.

Morgan kneeled down and giggled, "Don't worry, little boy. I will protect you."

Marian continued, "You're a monster! If you touch one hair on his head, I swear I'll-"

"You won't do anything. Neither of you will." Morgan smirked. "Now, will you two be able to overcome your challenges and work together to get the boy back or will you let him fall to the darkness? I do wonder."

"Why the hell are you doing this?!" Regina replied.

"Because I need leverage. You two have given me just that." Morgan smirked. "Now, do play nice, try not to kill each other over the man you both love and maybe, you'll even see the boy again one day." With that, Morgan and Rowland disappeared from sight.

Regina and Marian were left in the woods, surrounded by the statues of the merry men. Marian came crashing to the ground, sobbing, as Regina tried to console her. It may have seemed impossible to defeat Morgan Le Fay, but at this point, Regina knew that they did not have much of a choice.

Chapter Six - Heart of Light

_Along the rolling countryside of Camelot, by the king's castle, Lancelot and Guinevere were making their way the path that led through the grassy fields that led to the outskirts of Camelot. With Lancelot banished, Guinevere decided to leave the kingdom with him, where, together, they would start their lives anew. As their hands were held, Guinevere looked up at Lancelot with a smile on her face, before leaning up to kiss him. He lifted her up and swirled her in the air before placing her back down._

_Together, they both looked over their shoulders towards the kingdom, before turning to continue their journey._

_From a small window at the top of the castle, Arthur watched as two of the most important people walked out of his life. His heart felt heavy and his eyes began to burn when they filled with tears. His head drooped down and he sighed._

_"Arthur, you haven't stepped out of your chamber the entire day." Merlin entered the room behind him. "We've been worr-"_

_Merlin stopped when he got to the window alongside the young man and saw the young couple making their way out of Camelot. He sighed and placed his hand on the young man's shoulder, gentle and reassuring._

_"You will find love one day, Arthur."_

_Arthur continued staring at the window, sad and heartbroken, not speaking a word._

_Merlin had descended down into the great hall, where the other knights of the round table had gathered. He was about to head to his own chambers, when he saw Arthur make his way through the hall and down towards the grand doors at the front of the castle. Curious, the old wizard followed the young man._

_Arthur continued across the drawbridge, followed closely by Merlin. "Arthur! Arthur! My boy, where are you going?" He called out to him._

_"Don't follow me." Arthur called back to him, never turning back._

_Merlin rushed out in front of the man, grabbing him by his shoulders, stopping him and looking him in the eyes. "Arthur, where are you going?"_

_"I'm leaving Camelot." He replied honestly. "I...I...can't be king. I'm just...I'm not cut out for this Merlin, you know I'm not. It's just too much."_

_"Why, Arthur? Why are you leaving us? You can't." Merlin defended._

_"I have to. Ever since I became king, nothing but bad things have happened. You almost died, I lost both Guinevere and Lancelot, my heart is broken, I haven't eaten or slept in days, it's all I can think about."_

_"Well, this is-"_

_"I need to get away from it all. I need to do a lot of thinking and looking for what I want in life. All I know, is that it's not here in Camelot...and it's certainly not being a king." Arthur sighed and looked down, presenting Excalibur to Merlin. "Here. Take this. It would be better off in your hands than in mine. I'm sorry, Merlin." He turned away from the man. "I know that what I'm looking for is out there somewhere...I just need to understand what it is and when I do, I'll return." He continued walking off._

_Merlin stood, unsure of what to say. All he could do is hold Excalibur and watch as the young man began to make his way out of Camelot._

_"Arthur..."_

* * *

"Arthur?" Emma called out to him.

The young boy was snapped out of his momentary trance. "Yeah?"

"We're working on plans to stop Morgan Le Fay for good." Henry said.

Arthur turned to Emma, "I didn't realize that you got the whole family involved in all of this."

Emma turned back to him. "He's not. I'm trying to keep him out of danger as much as possible, but I can't blame him if he enjoys saving the day every now and then."

Emma lead Arthur to a table, where Merlin, Mary Margaret, David and Henry were all sitting.

"So, how exactly are we going to plan on doing this?" David said, looking around towards the others. "I doubt that we would be able to just go up to her and take Merlin's wand and heart and she'd be willing to just hand them over."

"No, she'd want to put up a fight." Mary Margaret replied, surely. "Well, if it's a fight that she wants, we might as well give it to her."

"That's a lot of bravery to finess when going up against her." Merlin said. "She's a very powerful sorcerer. If she wanted to, she could kill me in a second. Any of us, really."

"It doesn't matter." Mary Margaret replied. "We've faced powerful enemies before and yes, when first challenged, it seems impossible to defeat them, but I've learned, that if you hold onto hope, there is always a chance that good can win."

"It's true." David said, "The minute you stop believing that things can get better is the minute that you know they won't."

Arthur leaned back in his chair. "So, we just challenge her, then? If that's the case, I'm ready to finish this fight and keep Storybrooke protected. Let's not forget, she still thinks that she's wielding Excalibur. We already have her fooled. I think overcoming this fairy might be much more easier than we think."

* * *

At that same moment, Morgan entered into her underground lair along with Rowland. She took him by the hand, giggling along the way. She knelt down in front of him and placed a hand on his face.

"Now, don't worry, little boy. I'm not going to hurt you." She let out a little laugh, rubbing her hands together. "Here." She made a colorful lollipop appear in her hands and gave it over to the little child. "Enjoy." Morgan replied with a wide grin that stretched across her entire face.

Rowland took the lollipop and dropped it to the floor.

"Ugh, you have good instincts. It seems I kidnapped the smartest person in this damn town." She muttered, before turning from him. From within her robes, she took out Merlin's beating red heart and whispered into it. "Merlin, I command you to kill the boy."

* * *

"And we have to not forget that by killing her, the darkness at the town line will be vaniquishd and everything will be set back to normal, at least it should be." Mary Margaret replied.

Henry looked at his grandmother, "Killing?"

Emma raised her eyebrows, "Slow down, mom." She looked over to Henry. "We can at least weigh other options first. We might be able to find a way to get rid of her without killing her."

"I know that, but what if there wasn't? It was the same with Cora. She died because of me because I thought I was doing the right thing - to protect our family. It was a difficult choice and I think about what I've done all the time, but in the end, it is what has to be done. If we ever have to face a situation like that again, we need to be ready."

Arthur began to notice Merlin's face begin to grow into an enraged expression across the table.

"Your mother is right, Emma. We may be the 'heroes', but that doesn't mean we can't defend ourselves from the people that would do us and our family harm." David said.

"Merlin, are you okay?" Arthur asked. The old wizard suddenly shot up from the table and reached forward, gripping Arthur's neck tightly.

The others at the table sprung up to their feet in reaction.

"Merlin, what are you doing!?" Mary Margaret called out, as Emma turned Henry away from the scene. David went to try and pry the wizard off of the young man.

Merlin's hold on the young man's neck became tighter, determined to kill him."

"Merlin...please..." Arthur could barely choke out from the lack of breath.

David finally got a hold of Merlin and pushed him off of Arthur. "What the hell was that about?!" He said, over Arthur trying to regain his breath.

Merlin stumbled back up to his feet, his hands twitching. "That...this isn-n't me. I'm...be-being controlled...by her." Merlin grasped his head, both in pain and confusion. "Telling me...t-telling me...kill the boy." He began proceeding towards Arthur again, but David stepped in front of the young man.

"We need to get the two of them away from each other as long as this fairy can control him and we get his heart back." Mary Margaret said in one breath.

"Let's get Merlin down to the sheriff station, ASAP." She turned to the wizard. "I'm sorry, sir, but if she can control you, it-"

"I know." Merlin interuppted. "It's best and safest for everyone if I am put someplace safe. I-I understand." He said, stuttering, still having not fully recuperated from his earlier meltdown. Emma lead him out of the apartment.

Mary Margaret approached Arthur, placing a hand on his shoulder, giving him a motherly look. "Hey. Are you okay?"

Arthur replied, taking a deep breath. "Yes, just...a little shaken up is all. We have to get his heart back as soon as possible."

She reassuringly rubbed his shoulder. "Don't worry, Arthur. We will. After everything that I've learned in my life, I realize that heroes have a way of overcoming the villains right when least expect them to. Don't give up your hope, Arthur."

* * *

_Regina raced through the forest on her horse,_ _her eyes scanning the dense woods around her, as the nighttime sky illuminated the forest. The horse quickened its' pace, the dirt at its' feet flying rapidly. She rode forwards until thse saw the soldiers and their flickering torches just up ahead. She approached her dark knights._

_"Well, where is she?" She got off of her horse and stepped forward. The two knights looked at each other for a moment, not saying anything. "Snow White! Where is she?"_

_"She escaped, your majesty." One of the knights said. "It was my fault. I had her in my grasps, but then-"_

_Regina snapped his neck with a single flick of her hand. She turned to the other soldiers. "Snow White is in this forest. Do NOT let her escape me again. You know the penalty if you fail." She jumped back onto her horse and gave a shout, signaling the horse to continue racing off._

_In another part of the forest, Snow White quickly raced through the maze-like woods. She carefully raced through the trees, jumping over a large boulder in her path, before carefully tucking herself in a series of clustered trees. Her breath was heavy and hoarse as she heard men shouting around her, drawing nearer. She slowly and carefully brought her bow and arrow out, preparing to shoot._

_Just as she was about to begin taking aim for the approaching men, one of the dark knights snuck up from behind the tree and wrapped their arms around her face, swatting the bow and arrow out of her hands. Snow White struggled in his grasps._

_"Men! Over here! I've got her!" The soldier called out, alerting the others. The other knights soon rushed forward, surrounding the young woman and drawing their swords._

_Snow continued to struggle in the soldier's grasps. "If you are going to kill me, then just get on with it already!"_

_One of the soldiers laughed, "It's not our duty to kill you, it's the queen's. We are to bring you to her alive. She is looking forward to seeing you again."_

_Suddenly, the knight holding Snow White felt a twig snap behind him and when he looked back, an unknown stranger's hands gripped his head and twisted, snapping the soldier's neck._

_The other knights took out their swords and swung towards the unknown stranger, but before they could act, another one of the men was impaled with a sword. Soon after, another soldier lunged forward. The unknown man hot the soldier on the head with the hilt of his sword before swinging around to strike another soldier across the chest. At this point, the knights became much more aware of the unknown man's skill with a sword and began to back off._

_"Leave her!" The unknown man called out to the soldiers. The hesitated. "Now!" At that, the dark knights, fearing for their lives, took off leaving Snow White and the unknown man behind._

_Snow sighed, relieved. "Thank you...for saving me."_

_"Of course. I wouldn't let you die, Snow." The man said._

_She turned to him. "You know me? How? Who are you?"_

_He pulled out a paper with a sketch of Snow White's face on it. Under her image, it was branded that she was wanted for murder, treason and treachery. "They're nailed to nearly every tree along the forest path. Excuse me for wanting to save a 'murderer'."_

_Snow sighed, "Those posters are lies. I never killed anyone. It...it's my step-mother that's been chasing me all this time, wanting to kill me. I have been on the run from her for months now, I've lost count of the days."_

_"And those men, they've been chasing you this entire time?" The man questioned._

_"Yes. They're ruthless." Snow sighed, catching her breath. "They have no problem killing others just to get to me. I wouldn't be surprised if they returned with more soldiers to deal with you."_

_The man nodded and smiled, "Well, I'd like to see them try. I'm a very skilled swordsman."_

_Snow smiled. "Who are you?"_

_"My name is Arthur, I'm from a kingdom on the edge of the Enchanted Forest. It's nice to finally meet you, Snow White." He extended out her hand and took hold of hers, shaking it._

_When Snow pulled back, she saw the blood that had collected in her hand. She looked back up at Arthur. "You're...you're bleeding." She saw a rather deep cut on Arthur's hand from a sword. "I built a hut nearby. It's a short walk from here, you can join me. I have the ingredients there necessary to heal your wound."_

_Arthur shook his head. "Uh, no, thank you, you really don't have to do that."_

_"Arthur, you saved my life. It's the least I could do." Snow smiled at him. "Besides, we would be better off traveling together, at least I would be."_

_"Well, I can't argue with you there." Arthur smiled. "Alright. Lead the way, Snow." The woman continued to lead him into the forest towards the makeshift settlement she established for herself._

* * *

At the sheriff station, Merlin walked into the cell, leaving Emma to close and lock the door behind him. He turned around to face Emma and the others.

"I'm sorry, Merlin." Emma sighed, "I know thet we just found you and you've spent far too much time not having control over your own free will, but-"

"I know, it's what has to be done." Merlin said. "Arthur, I'm so sorry. I don't have control over my actions."

"Merlin, I know. It's not your fault. We just have to be very cautious when getting your heart back. She could make you hurt me or the rest of us. We just have to make sure that it doesn't happen."

Merlin nodded, understandingly.

Mary Margaret spoke up, rocking the baby, "What is this fairy up to?"

"I don't know, but whatever is is, she wants Excalibur. She needs it for something." Arthur shook his head, confused. "I think this goes beyond just wanting the powers of the sword, though."

Regina came into the station, followed by Marian. "Thank God you're all here. She has Rowland."

"What?" David questioned.

Emma's eyes widened, "How the hell did that happen?"

"We were at the Merry Men's campsite when she paid us a visit and took him. She turned the merry men to stone. I tried my magic on them, but nothing was able to reverse the spell."

Marian begged, "Please, we have to get my son back! The longer he's with that woman, the more I can't bear it."

"Don't worry. We'll find him, Marian." Mary Margaret encouraged. "We will."

"I say, it's about time we drive this fairy out of the town." Regina said.

Emma sighed, "Well, it will be hard to do that when there's a portal of darkness blocking the town line."

Regina argued, "Well, we have to do something! I know that we may have had a lot of villains from our land, huh, present company included, but this is a psychopath we're dealing with."

Mary Margaret nodded, "Regina's right. Morgan seems like no ordinary villain. She's extremely volatile. She's not like the Wicked Witch or the Snow Queen - they both had driving forces for why they were doing what they were, mostly based on living a life they didn't want to."

"True, Mary Margaret, but sometimes villains don't need driving forces." Regina said. "People can choose to be evil just because it's an easier way of getting what you want. Believe me. Being good, you have to work for what you want, when villains think that they can just take it. They have no empathy for how their actions can effect others."

"The real world can be even less forgiving." Emma said.

"Well, I'm done talking about it." Arthur said, heading towards the door. "It is nothing for Morgan to take a life and I am not going to be the one to let it happen."

David turned to his wife. "Mary Margaret you stay here and look after Merlin. I don't want you or the baby involved if we are taking out this black fairy."

"But I'm the best tracker out of all of us here." Mary Margaret defended.

"I don't think we'll have much tracking to do if she is looking for a fight." Regina said, "Come on, let's go. We have to rescue Rowland!"

"Please, David, be careful!" Mary Margaret leaned in to kiss her husband.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. Make sure Merlin stays safe."

"Come on. Let's get this fairy." Emma said, leading them out of the room.

* * *

_Snow had led Arthur back to the small camp she had established for herself. She had built a small shelter made of sticks and fallen tree branches. Just outside of the shelter, a small fire had been built. Arthur continued to keep the fire burning while Snow wrapped a bandage around his hand after healing his wound._

_He turned to her, "You're very skilled for a princess, Snow. I can't imagine you learned much about hunting or tracking back at your palace._

_She shook her head and laughed, "Nah. My friend...Red, she taught me most of what I know. She's really the only friend I've made since leaving the palace. I didn't necessarily ask to live like this, but I don't have a choice if I want to survive..."_

_"And why did you leave in the first place?"_

_Snow turned to him and looked down at the fire. "My stepmother. She blames me for ruining her life. She sent her huntsman after me, she tried to have my heart cut out but he let me go. I soon met Red and I've been living in the woods after since, but, I'm trying to find my way out of here, trying to find a place that's isolated - where no one could ever find me and I could never be hurt."_

_Arthur smiled weakly. "That actually sounds pretty nice."_

_She turned to him. "What about you? What's your story, Arthur?"_

_He sighed, "I...am the king of Camelot, but if you were to ask me how to actually be a king, I would have no idea how to tell you. I never asked to be king, I was made into one...when I was only ever raised as a village worker. I just...things weren't well back in my land, our boundaries aren't secure, a friend of mine barely escaped death and then my best friend and lover betrayed me all in one day. It was too much for me to handle, so I left the kingdom as fast as I could and was journeying the world, searching for a new purpose."_

_" Snow sighed and looked down, "It's strange, I thought our lives would turn out differently, being...'royalty'."_

_"And yet, here we are, a princess and a king hiding in the woods from the people that want you dead."_

_She shook her head, "It's not quite the happily ever after I expected."_

_Arthur nodded, "After falling in love, being in love and being heart-broken, you devote so much of yourself towards your "true love", only to be hurt. I've learned that happy endings aren't always what we think they'll be. You can't find happiness again in the thing that made you sad in the first place."_

_"True." Snow said, looking over to Arthur. "Love is the worst, isn't it? Out of all my years, I don't think I've ever seen a couple, especially royalty, be together just because of "true love". Even my parents were married because of preconceived arrangements. True love, it doesn't exist."_

_"Maybe you just haven't found it yet." Arthur looked up from the fire at her._

_"Maybe, but I doubt it." She placed her hands on her knees and leaned in closer to the fire. "You seem rather optimistic about true love for someone who's just had their heart broken."_

_"I choose to be." Arthur replied, "Love might be torcherous and drive someone crazy. It might be hard to find and almost feel non-existant nowadays, but if I were to give up on it, truly give up on it completely, I know that I would never find it."_

_Arthur turned to the fire, "I may not want to be a king or the best ruler of all the kingdoms...I'm just someone that wants to be loved. I want to know what real love is like. That's why I'm taking this journey."_

_"And you would leave your family behind?" Snow questioned._

_"That's easy to do when you have no family to go back to."_

_"I know how that feels." Snow sighed. "But, maybe, if you do find love, you'll find a family one day, too?"_

_Arthur raised his eyebrows, "I thought you said you didn't believe in it?"_

_"I-I don't." Snow said, correcting herself. "I just don't want you to give up your hope, Arthur."_

_"Me too." He smiled weakly, before turning back to keep the fire blazing._

* * *

Mother Superior walked towards the front door of the Storybrooke Convent and headed up the stairs towards the entrance. A figure stepped out from behind one of the pillars at the entrance of the house.

"Hello, Blue." Morgan said.

"Morgan...I figured I'd be seeing you again soon." Mother Superior stepped back, surprised.

"Perceptive, aren't you?" She looked around the building. "Quite a lovely place you and the other fairies have here in Storybrooke. It's a shame I was never welcome."

"We tried several times to welcome you in the past, Morgan, but you cannot blame us for your dark ways. I tried to help you more than you know."

Morgan sneered. "Please. You took my wand from me, my powers and banished me to Camelot. And you call that help?"

"I tried to help you by straying you from the darkness that you sought. I tried to protect everyone by taking your wand. By choosing the path that you have, you will never find true happiness because of the power you sought."

"Well, power is how you get things and now, I'm going to use mine to get what I want." She raised her palms. "I'm going to get my wand back."

"Not a chance, Morgan." Mother Superior stuttered.

Within her palm, Morgan revealed a dark powder. She picked up a few of the grains of powder, before dropping them back in her palm.

Mother Superior looked at her confused, "Fairy dust? How did you get that?"

"You need not worry about that." She laughed and paced past Mother Superior. "This is dark fairy dust, as you know, powerful magic of my own creation."

"Believe me, I know about your fairy dust. You've taken the magic of all of the fairies and you've twisted it and corrupted it with your dark powers. How dare you."

Morgan smiled, "Hm. Except my dark fairy dust is much more than you know now. Back in our land, it had dark, powerful qualities, but over the years, I've cultivated its' power, increased the dark magic in every grain. If it was to be used on a human now, they would be corrupted with darkness."

Mother Superior stuttered, "It would turn their hearts black."

"No, of course not, but the dust will manipulate their minds to believe that their heart has turned black as coal. They won't remember love, friendship, this 'light' that you think is so triumphant. It's powerful enough to corrupt your mind and heart into believing you are a being of the darkness."

Mother Superior rose her wand. "Well, if you are to use it on me, I am prepared to fight you and I think we both know who will win."

"Oh, dear, I'm not here to use this on you, not today anyway. I'm letting you know what's at stake if you don't heed my request and return my wand to me promptly. Don't worry, I'll give you some time to mull the consequences over, but rest assured, I will retrieve my wand one way or another."

With that, Morgan disappeared and left Mother Superior to catch her breath.

* * *

_A month had passed since Snow and Arthur had first met and the two continued to live off of the woods, in the solitude and security that they had both searched for. They had established a new home within the large trunk of a tree, which they dug out into a small underground alcove for more space. The makeshift home was isolated and unsual to say the least, but at least offered protection from the outside forces that were attempting to intrude on their lives. It was at least a place that they could call home._

_Arthur was in the trunk of the tree, when Snow White made her way down into the trunk of the tree, a few swords and knives strapped to her belt and a sack over her shoulder. She flipped off the hood of her cape. He went up to her. "Snow!? Are you alright? I feared the worst when you left days ago."_

_"I'm sorry. I went off to a nearby village to gather supplies with the jewels we stole from the queen's carriage, but I ran into her and her men. She tricked me and disguised herself. Her men had killed so many in that village, I couldn't count the number of casualties. I was able to fight off her men."_

_"I can see you're putting our sword training lessons to good use."_

_Snow sighed and nodded, "Sometimes, I wish I didn't have to."_

_"Aiming for the chest will always do the if you miss, you could at least mortally wound them, maybe sever a limb if you're lucky."_

_"I'll try to remember that." Snow laughed to herself, dropping the sack to the ground. "Well, I'd better head out and prepare more wood for the fire if we're to go hunting later." She said, exiting out of the tree hollow, grabbing an axe as she did so._

_She trudged through the forest a little bit longer, looking for a fallen tree with large branches, one that she could salvage some wood for a fire. She looked around a little bit longer, before a snapping sound caught her attention. She turned around to see if Arthur had followed her, but he was nowhere to be seen. She turned around in circles, feeling as if she was being watched. It could have been an animal, but then it also could have been one of the queen's men. She cautiously retrieved her bow and arrow and prepared to shoot._

_"Now, now, I'm not here for a fight." Morgan appeared beside her, leaning against a tree._

_Snow turned, startled by the voice, noticing the beautiful dark haired woman who stood before her. "Who are you?"_

_"My name is Morgan Le Fay. I'm a sorceress that practices very powerful magic." She bowed before her. "It is an honor to finally meet the fairest one of all, in the flesh."_

_"Can I...help you?" She replied, cautiously._

_"No, dear, it is I who can help you." Morgan paced around Snow White._

_"Unless you have a way of me escaping my stepmother, I'm not interested." Snow replied._

_"Well, with you sticking with that boy, you won't find much of an escape, either, I assure you." Morgan replied calmly, raising an eyebrow._

_Snow turned back to her, "Arthur? What does he have to do with anything?"_

_Morgan shook her head, "Oh, dear, don't tell me that a gullible girls lurks behind that beautiful face of yours. Arthur has been working for the queen this whole time. He made him trust you so that you would never expect it when he handed you over to the queen. I've been searching for him for weeks now, trying to stop him."_

_Snow stepped back, "Arthur...wouldn't do something like that."_

_"And here you think you know so much about him, when he's still just a stranger to you." Morgan persuaded._

_"Arthur has been a good friend to me in the short amount of time that I've known him. We've helped each other out more than I can count."_

_The fairy sneered, "Hm. Well, if that's the case, betrayal always hurts more when it comes from the people we don't expect. Arthur, for example." She continued to walk around her. "He's not your friend. He's just using you, Snow White, ready to turn you in when it profits him the most. His kingdom is starting to fall, he told you as much, didn't he. Think of all the riches the queen has promised him if he was to turn you over. You would be dead in an instant and Arthur would be a free man, ready to get his happy ending, while you lost out entirely on yours."_

_"That's not who he is at all." Snow defended._

_"Believe him if you wish or you could take my advice and eliminate him." Morgan made a small necklace appear in her hands. At the end of the necklace, was a small vial containing a dark grey powers. She handed the necklace over to Snow White. "It is dark fairy dust. It can transform even the most powerful of enemies into...a form that can easily be squashed. When you realize who Arthur really is, perhaps it will be of great assistance to you."_

_Snow White shook her head, "But-"_

_"Trust me, Snow White. I know you'll make the right decision." With that, Morgan ahd vanished, leaving Snow alone with the vial. She felt more unsure and confused than ever about her friendship with Arthur. Surviving on her own in the woods was difficult enough and to befriend someone was truly a blessing to her. He had always been so kind and generous, but now, she didn't know what to believe anymore._

_He could never really do something to hurt her, could he?_

* * *

The group of friends headed through Main Street right at sundown.

"Morgan, come out. You can't hide from us forever." Regina called out,leading the group.

Emma pulled out her gun and looked about the scene. The other citizens walking down the street sensed the tension and quickly cleared the scene. Arthur, David and Marian followed closely behind her.

"Hiding just isn't my style." Morgan appeared behind them, holding the fake Excalibur in her hands. She slowly approached them. "I'm quite surprised to see you all here, working together amongst all your differences."

Emma pointed her gun towards the sorcereress. "Don't come any closer."

Morgan pouted, mockingly. "Oh, dear, you look like you want to hurt me. It's quite an honor to meet you, Emma, truly. You've come quite a long way as the savior. I'm impressed you've made it this far." She walked around Emma, as the others slowly backed away from Morgan as she paced.

"I said don't move!" Emma said louder, more assertive.

"Now, now, if you were going to kill me, you would have done it already and yet, you're hesitating. It makes me truly wonder if you are even a 'savior' at all. Ever since you've come to this town, only bad things have happened. The town has all but fallen to destruction multiple times, everyone's lives have nearly fallen apart again and again and then there's you, the one responsible for it all."

"Emma, don't let her shake your confidence." David encouraged her.

"Listen to your father, dear, the man who gave you up in the first place - all just to break a curse. They'd rather live without you in a cursed life than care for you as a parent."

"That's not true." Emma stuttered. "They had to give me up to give me my best chance."

"It didn't get you very far, did it? Here you are, still standing alongside the queen who's tried to kill you and your family time and time again and now, you're working together. She's not truly a friend to you, Emma. I know this...and so do you."

Emma's breath grew ragged. She felt a powerful emotion begin to boil over in her heart.

"Don't listen to her, Emma." Regina called out.

"It's a good thing you've found Arthur. Both of you are so alike. Both powerful and very bright, but plain and ordinary."

Emma's hands began to shake as she gripped the trigger of the gun.

"Emma, you can't win against me, you know this. Deep within your heart, I can sense an endless darkness just waiting to be awakened. If you unlock it, you can discover just how powerful you truly are. You don't have to be a hero or a savior, you can simply amplify your powers by choosing the darkness - the side that is more powerful, after all. Think of the possibilities."

Emma's eyes grew out of focus, as if in a trance.

"Emma." Arthur said, softly.

"You're not truly a savior, after all, are you? You're just a lost little girl who only wants a family and to be loved. And what will happen after I'm defeated, hm? You think Storybrooke will get its' happy ending? No, Emma." Morgan approached her. "You're no savior. You're responsible, for all of this. The town may not see it yet, Emma, but they will. You keep taking away their happy endings. You keep ruining their lives. YOU ARE THE VILLAIN, EMMA."

Emma shot her gun and the bullet struck Morgan in the chest. Her eyes widened, as if surprised by her own actions. Her breath was fast and heavy. She stumbled back a few feet, looking at her friends and families eyes on her, in shock.

Morgan reeled back for a moment in shock, before a wide grin stretched across her face. She let out a sickening laugh and passed her hand over the wound on her chest, completely healing herself of it. Her laughter continued, maniacaland violent. "There it is, Emma. The darkness building up inside you. You can't stop it now. Nothing can. And soon, it will consume your entire being and then our purposes will be aligned together..."

David went over to Emma and gripped her on the shoulders, as if to snap her out of the trance. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"You." Marian stepped towards her. "Give me back my son!"

"You mean, little Rowland?" Morgan let out a giggle, before waving her hand, making Rowland appear out of a cloud of red smoke.

"Rowland!" Regina and Marian both called out.

"It's a shame he's chosen to stay with me, instead of the two women who both try to be a mother to him, when really, you never really were."

"Let him go!" Regina called out.

Marian looked at Regina and turned back to Morgan, approaching her. "Please, I would give my own life to ensure Rowland's safety and well-being."

Morgan smiled, "Now, we're talking."

"But I'd rather take care of an evil bitch like you myself." Marian reered her fist back and punched Morgan across the face, sending her to the floor. Marian grabbed Rowland and made her way back to the rest of the group, checking on her son, making sure he was alright.

Morgan sneered and rose to her feet, wiping the blood that dripped from her lip. She held Excalibur forward and pointed it towards them. "I can sense the darkness growing in each of you. The light won't be able to save you now."

* * *

_Snow made her way back through the forest and entered back into the large, fallen tree stump, where Arthur was cleaning off the swords. He looked up at her curiously._

_"You're back so soon. Where's the firewood?"_

_Snow stumbled over her words and just looked at him._

_He got up and approached her, "Snow, is everything alright?"_

_Snow leaned in closer to him and hugged him, whispering in his ear. "Arthur, you know how the queen is chasing after me? I think someone wants you dead, too."_

_"What?" He pulled back from her._

_"A fairy named Morgan Le Fay. She came to me and gave me this...this dust to try and get you out of the way." She lifted up the necklace. "She tried to make me believe that you would hurt me, but-"_

_"Snow, I would never-"_

_"I know, I know. I'm not the gullible princess she thinks I am. But Arthur, there isn't time. We need to get out of here before she comes back. Come on, we move through the woods, not the forest path! She might find us there." Snow said, grabbing a sword, a couple of knives and an axe. Arthur gathered his weapons and exited the tree stump together._

_The two of them swiftly made their way through the forest, the trees whizzing by them as they sprinted in-between the trees and overgrown dense bushes._

_"Where are we going?" Arthur leaned over to Snow, still keeping up their fast pace._

_"If we continue this way, we should reach King Midas' kingdom by nightfall. We can establish a new camp there, as long as this Morgan doesn't find us."_

_"Too late for that, I think." Morgan said, appearing before the two of them. "Well done, Snow White. I greatly underestimated you and your companionship towards Arthur. I thought it was certain that you woul have used the dust to destroy him."_

_"You won't hurt him." Snow extended out her arm in front of Arthur._

_"What do you want?" Arthur cried out, "Why do you want me dead?"_

_"Because as long as you are alive and possess the heart of light that you have, I will never get the blade you possess." Morgan said, simply._

_"That's what this is about?" Arthur replied, confused._

_"Yes, and if you are to die to get what I want, then so be it." Morgan smiled._

_"No. You are not going to hurt him." Snow said, firmly. "You'll have to kill me, too."_

_"You would throw away your life to protect a stanger?" Morgan questioned, approaching her._

_Snow looked at Arthur and took his hand. "Arthur is my friend. We may not have known each other long, but for some reason, I feel like we were destined to meet. It's as if our meeting would continue us down the path we are supposed to take in life."_

_The fairy scoffed. "How touching. Well, if this is the path you are taking, I know where it leads - your death."_

_Morgan reached into Snow's chest to pull out her heart and crush it. Snow grimaced in pain and felt Morgan's hand squeezing around her heart. Arthur's eyes widened in shock when he saw the attack. When she tried to remove the heart from her chest, she found that it was impossible. She tried again, but still the heart could not be removed._

_Morgan let out a frustrated grunt. "Why isn't it working?!"_

_"Because a being of the dark like you could never hurt a heart that is as pure and good as Snow's." Arthur said._

_From physically within Snow, a burst of light shot out and engulfed Morgan completely in the blinding light. When the light had faded, Morgan was nowhere to be seen. She had completely vanished._

_Arthur let out a relieved sigh, "You...you did it. You stopped her!"_

_Snow's breath caught up to her, as she patted her chest, making sure that she was alright. "I-I did."_

_"I didn't know you knew magic." Arthur replied._

_An expression of newfound surprise came across her face. "I don't. I don't know what that was."_

_Arthur placed his hands on her shoulders. "It was a heart of light repelling away the darkness."_

_She smiled and looked down, letting out a small chuckle. She wiped a few stray strands of hair behind her head._

_The young man looked around. "Do you think she's gone for good?"_

_"I doubt it, but she's gone for now. It will give us some time to escape. We'd better start moving before she comes back."_

_Arthur looked over at his friend, before the two of them started walking at a slow pace back through the woods._

* * *

Morgan approached the group in the center of Main Street.

"Soon, you'll have no choice but to be enslaved to me. Enjoy your freedom while it lasts." Morgan paced around them.

"Well, we won't let that happen." Regina approached her and cast her arm out, sending Morgan flying back. She crashed to the ground with a loud thud, but quickly lifted herself back up to her feet.

Morgan cast her arm over to one of the buildings, breaking the glass window of a store. The sharp shards of glass floated in midair at her command moving towards the group. The sharp shards pointed towards Regina, before switching their target towards Marian and Rowland. The glass flew forward with great speed about to strike its' target, before Regina moved in front of the two and extended her arms to cast a powerful barrier spell that disintegrated the shards into grains of dust.

When the spell was done, Regina cast a fireball towards Morgan, but the fairy caught it and sent it towards Emma and David. The two luckily jumped out of the way right as the meteor crashed towards them.

Morgan turned to Regina, "You can't win against me using your dark magic, Regina." She lifted the blade of Excalibur towards them. "With the power of Excalibur, I command you all to bow before me."

The group looked at each other, as Morgan commanded them. They remained motionless.

She thrust her blade forward again, "I said I command you to bow!" Again, no one moved or followed her direction.

"Why isn't it working?" Morgan cried.

"Because I HAVE Excalibur!" Morgan turned around to see Arthur cast his hand out. The blade of Excalibur magically materialized in his hands.

"You...you tricked me!" Morgan reeled back, eyes wide with surprise.

Arthur swung Excalibur through the fake blade, shattering it into a thousand magical fragments, making it completely disappear from within her grasps.

Morgan menacingly approached him, casting him back against one of the buildings, keeping him entrapped along the wall. "I told you once before, to get what I want, I need Excalibur and that means you can no longer possess it."

Emma and David rand towards him, "Arthur!"

Morgan sent her hand back, casting the two of them backwards. "And now, I shall finally get what I desire. Goodbye, Arthur." She forced her hand into his chest, taking hold of his heart. Morgan tried to remove the heart from his chest, but found that she could not. She tried again, but still, Arthur's heart did not budge.

Her eyes widened, "No..."

Arthur breathed out his words, "You still haven't learned anything. You will never be able to overpower a heart of light." A bright light emerged from within Arthur's chest, completely engulfing Morgan. The light grew brighter and brighter before finally subsiding. When the light faded, Morgan was gone and Merlin's heart and wand remained behind.

Emma and David rushed over to Arthur and embraced him, "You did it!"

Regina approached them, brushing off her blazer. "But I doubt that she's gone for good."

"She's not. She'll be back, but at least now we have Merlin's heart and his wand." Arthur said, leaning down and picking up the objects.

Emma placed a hand on his shoulder, "Come on, we have to get these back to Merlin." Emma started leading Arthur and David back towards the sheriff's station.

Marian stepped towards Regina, lifting Rowland into her arms, "Regina, thank you for saving Rowland and I."

"Don't mention it." Regina smiled. "Though, it looked to me that you were the one that saved Rowland. I didn't know you had some fight in you."

Marian sighed and shook his head, "I don't know what came over me. When I saw her with Rowland, thinking of how she could hurt him, I just lost it."

"You were thinking about his safety." Regina said.

"I guess my motherly instinct kicked in."

"Yeah, it can drive you to do crazy things." Regina squeezed Rowland's cheek. "But at least he's safe."

Marian nodded, "Yeah, now we have other matters to take care of - defeating this fairy and getting Robin back."

They began walking back down Main Street.

* * *

_Regina's carriage took off through the woods, heading towards a nearby village searching for the whereabouts of Snow White. Following the carriage, her dark knights followed by with several prisoners who had refused to tell of Snow White's location, one of them being Marian._

_In a nearby part of the the forest, Snow and Arthur were walking just alongside the main road that led through the forest. A little bit further down the road, Arthur turned around to see that Snow had stopped walking._

_Arthur turned to her, "Snow?"_

_Snow stepped towards him, "Remember back there when I said that...I felt we were destined to meet to...take us down the path we were supposed to take in life?"_

_Arthur nodded._

_Snow smiled, "The path continues on here, but I can't join you."_

_Arthur looked at her, surprised. "What? You're saying goodbye?"_

_"Arthur, we both have forces out to kill us both. As much as I appreciate our friendship, we'd be a danger to each other. And more importantly than that, you have a kingdom to rule."_

_Arthur stumbled, "Snow, I told you. I'm no-"_

_"Yes, you are a king. You showed me that you have more bravery and compassion in your heart than most people do in their whole body. You're a loyal friend, but you have to go back to Camelot. Your kingdom needs you, especially if this fairy is lurking about. It's time to stop running."_

_Arthur smiled and nodded, "And what about you? Will you stop running?"_

_She ran a hand threw her hair. "At this point, I have no choice but to continue running if I want to survive."_

_He nodded, "Well, don't let some queen keep you running forever. Your kingdom needs you, too." He pointed towards her necklace. "And you still have Morgan's fairy dust."_

_She smiled and nodded, "I think I know just who to use it on...I can't run from her forever."_

_Arthur and Snow embraced. "It was nice meeting you, Snow."_

_She tightened her hold on him for a moment. "Your a great friend and you'll make an even better king." They pulled back from the embrace._

_They turned away from each other and walked alongside the path, heading in opposite directions. Snow slowly put up her hood, before turning back to Arthur._

_"And Arthur, don't give up hope on finding your happy ending. You will find love, you will find a family one day, Arthur, just hold onto hope. Your happy ending may not be what you expect, but that is what will make it so special."_

_Arthur smiled and nodded, "And Snow, believe that true love does exist."_

_Snow smiled and shook her head, "Maybe."_

_Arthur chuckled and turned away, calling back to her. "Keep your head up, Snow. I think your happy ending could be just around the corner."_

_With that, the two of them walked in opposite directions down the path, as Arthur started making his way back towards Camelot and Snow headed back through the forest._

_Snow couldn't shake the feeling that went through her about love and finding her happy ending. She stopped for a moment, taking a deep sigh. Her attention was pulled when she heard the rolling wheels of an approaching carriage. 'It must be the queen's. Perfect to steal from.' She went to a nearby tree and ripped off a wanted poster of herself. She took out her axe and began hacking away at the tree, tipping it over to form a barricade in the path._

_Arthur let the horse-drawn, lavish carriage roll past him, his head turning away from it, his face not to be seen by the passengers. He could see that some royal soldiers were at the front of the carriage. He continued down the trail._

_Inside the carriage, David looked out of the window and turned to his betrothed, "What do you think of the view, my dear?"_

_Princess Abigail fanned herself, unenthusiastically. "I've seen better. This is taking forever. I told you the troll road would have been quicker-" The carriage crossed over a small dip in the road, causing the carriage to shake. "...and far less bumpy." She looked up at him, seeing how he hadn't responded to her and was too fixated on looking at a small satchel. "Are you even listening to me?"_

_David looked up, taken out of his thoughts. "Yes, of course I am."_

_"Hold! Hold!" The soldiers commanded the horses. "Halt!" The carriage slowed to a stop._

_Princess Abigail rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Now what?" David got up from his seat and went outside to investigate, leaving his satchel behind._

_From a tree above the carriage, Snow White smiled down._

* * *

Emma, Arthur and David entered back into the sheriff's station, where Merlin and Mary Margaret had been waiting, anxiously.

Mary Margaret sprung to her feet, "How did it go?"

"We got his wand and his heart back." Arthur said, proudly, heading over to Merlin. The old wizard stepped up to the gate. "Here, this may sting a little, but you'll finally be free from Morgan, completely." With that, Arthur took the heart and placed it back in Merlin's chest. For a brief moment, Merlin didn't breathe, but then he let out a deep exhale, having his heart returned to his body.

The wizard smiled, "Good job, my boy." Mary Margaret unlocked the gates, letting Merlin stepped out. Upon doing so, Merlin and Arthur embraced. "I knew you could do it, my boy."

Arthur pulled back and handed Merlin his wand. "I believe this belongs to you." When the wizard took the wand, he could instantly feel his powers rush back to him, as if he had never been without them in the first place. Sparkles of light shimmered around Merlin as his magic returned.

Mary Margaret smiled to Arthur, "See? I told you, if you hold onto hope, you'll find your happy ending."

Arthur turned back to her, "Our happy ending isn't complete yet, not until we find a way to get rid of Morgan."

Emma turned towards the door, a serious expression on her face. "Speaking of which, there's something I need to do."

"Emma? Where are you going?" David called out to her, but she never replied. The four others stood there, watching the blonde leave the room.

"Is she okay?" Mary Margaret looked over at David, rocking the baby.

"I'm not sure. Her confrontation with Morgan was rather tense to say the least." David looked at his wife, worriedly, then back to where Emma had left.

* * *

Hook answered the door when there was a slight knock. He opened the door to see Emma, standing there with tears in her eyes.

"Swan? What are you-"

She stopped him when she pulled him into kiss him. She continued the kiss, entering into his room, the door closing behind her. As their kiss continued, Hook broke away from the kiss.

"Killian..." Emma started, "Today, when the others and I faced off against the dark fairy, something came over me. It was like this intense hatred, something that completely consumed my heart. It was her darkness that took over for a brief second and I let it. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't think. I couldn't do anything, it just happened."

He wiped away a tear from her face, "But you're fine now. You overcame it. You do that a lot."

"I'm terrified." Emma said, crying. "This...darkness of hers, it turned me into something I didn't recognize and it scares me. Morgan said I'm no savior, but when I'm under her power, I believe it and it's terrifying, to think I could lose my friends, family...you."

"Emma..." He replied calmly to her, "I know you and I know your heart. It's strong and with each beat, it grows in the amount of love that you have for you family and friends. I can imagine there's a lot of people that love you, too. Your heart is filled with light that will push away the darkness and even if it doesn't, you will find a way to overcome it."

Emma smiled through her tears and shook her head. "How are you so sure?"

"Because you're the Savior. It's what you do." He brought her in for another kiss, his hand caressing her cheek, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his.

* * *

Night had fallen and Mary Margaret was just putting the baby to rest when there was a slight knock at the door. She moved from the cradle and went to the front door to open it.

"Regina?" Mary Margaret said, surprised.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Regina asked.

Mary Margaret opened the door a little bit wider, allowing her step-mother to come in. She closed the door and turned back to face her. "I see being the newfound mayor is suiting you well."

Regina was silent for another moment. "Snow...Mary Margaret, the other day...at office when we got into that little argument-"

"Regina, it's my fault. I'm so sorry. I was just so stres-"

"No, it's not. You were right about me. I was a villain. It wasn't the book that made it that way, I did. I've spent too long trying to solve the mysterious of this book, as if that would somehow change who I was. Without being the Evil Queen, I would have never had Henry, Storybrooke would have never existed, our lives would have been entirely different."

Mary Margaret spoke, leading Regina to the counter, "Well, maybe our lives are destined to travel a certain path. Things happen for a reason, Regina. Yes, you were a villain, you cannot change your past, but you have changed who you are...and I think you have earned your happiness."

"That doesn't feel possible." Regina sighed, looking down.

Mary Margaret got up next to her. "It is Regina." She placed her hands on Regina's arms. "You know what you need that will get you through this?"

"Hope." They both said in unison. "Don't give up hope on finding your happy ending, Regina." Mary Margaret pulled her into an embrace. As they pulled away, Regina felt something at her foot. She looked down and saw Henry's storybook.

"What?" Regina's eyes widened. "How did that get here? It's been missing for days." She reached down to pick it up.

Mary Margaret smiled, "It appeared when you needed it most."

Regina opened up the book and all of the pages were blank, except for one. It was a picture of Regina and Robin sitting together with nothing but black darkness surrounding them.

"I don't understand." Regina said, looking up, "This...hasn't happened at all. Not here or in the Enchanted Forest."

Regina continued staring at the picture. "How can this exist?"

* * *

As the sky was filled with stars, Mother Superior made her way up the steps of the convent.

"Hello, Blue. We meet again, I see, unfortunately for you." Morgan approached her from the darkness. "My plans have changed. The boy and his friends were far mor cunning than I thought, but not to worry, he and the Savior's hearts will be corrupted with darkness soon enough and then they'll be no saving them."

Mother Superior moved back, scared. "Morgan, why? Why are you doing this?"

Morgan smirked, "You see, once their pure hearts have been tainted by the darkness, Arthur, nor the Savior will be able to claim Excalibur, a blade that can only be used in the hands of someone who's heart is pure of light."

"Than it can't be used by you, either! Your heart is rotten to the core." Mother Superior spat.

"Foolish fairy, I don't want to use it. I need it as an ingredient."

"F-for what?" Mother Superior stuttered.

"The three powerful artifacts shall give me the power to do what I wish - Arthur's blade of Excalibur, Merlin's wand of light magic and my wand of dark magic. Combined, they're powers would be great enough to summate what I have in store."

Mother Superior stumbled back, as Morgan approached.

Morgan smiled, "Storybrooke is a nice town, but it's not quite what I have in mind. Soon, when I gather all three artifacts, I will have the power to create my own world - a world of darkness, where everyone will be enslaved to me. It's what I've waited years for and nothing will stop me."

"You're wrong! Arthur and Emma have the power to do so." Mother Superior defended.

"And how will they do that when their hearts are corrupted by darkness?" She leaned down closer to Mother Superior. "Blue, I think it's time I retrieved my wand." With a simple flick of her hand, Mother Superior was turned to stone.

She entered into the convent, as all of the lights within the building were extinguished.

Chapter Seven - A Fractured Family

While Morgan continues her search to gain her power, truths about Merlin are slowly revealed to Arthur about his past, which will effect his future. Romance blossoms in Storybrooke, as Belle and Rumplestiltskin continue to make amends on a romantic date and Hook tries to comfort Emma, but when Morgan sets her sight on her two targets, a family is torn apart. In the Enchanted Forest of the past, a man leaves his past life behind in pursuit of a new, better life in Camelot, but his past has a way of catching up with him


	7. A Fractured Family

Emma slowly stirred from her sleep. She could feel Killian's steady breath brush across her neck behind her. Killian's arms was wrapped around her waist and her back was cuddled into his chest. She smiled, content, feeling like she could get used to this. From the bed, she looked outside of the window and could see that it was still very dark outside; it must have still been very early in the morning.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, causing Emma to turn towards it with a startled expression. She slowly rose from the bed and brushed the hair from her face. Killian stirred as she rose and sat up.

"Swan?" He silently called out to her.

Emma moved towards the door and opened it.

"Hello, Emma." Morgan stood at the entrance of the room.

"What are you doing here?" Emma stood her ground, defensive.

"I'm simply here to help you, Emma." Morgan smiled sincerely at the woman.

"Get the hell away from me. Last time was just a warning shot, but next time you try to start with me, you might not be so lucky." Emma said, as Killian moved behind her to reassuringly place a hand on her shoulder.

Morgan laughed, "Oh, Emma. There it is again. That darkness you try so desperately to push away, yet it is so clear that your heart is seeped in it. If your heart even gives into it for a moment, your entire being is swallowed by the darkness and no fraction of yourself remains. It can even make you do terrible things, things you'd never expect yourself to do, things that can hurt the people you love."

Emma's fists tightened, her face becoming stern.

"Even 'heroes' have the potential to do terrible things. Soon, Emma, the darkness within you will boil over and there will be no stopping it when it does. Let me help show you the way." Morgan cast out her hand. Emma leaned forward, clutching her head and let out a painful groan.

"Swan?" Killian tried to get a hold of her.

Emma didn't have any control of her actions. Her pupils turned black and she felt herself beckoned to Morgan's every command.

"Kill him." Morgan smiled, turning to Hook.

Hook turned to Emma, grasping her shoulders. "Emma, please. It's me! Don't listen to her. You can stop this."

"It's too late, Hook. The darkness has already started to consume her heart. There will be no saving her now." She turned to the woman. "Do it."

Emma plunged her hand into Hook's chest and pulled out his heart. She slowly began squeezing the glowing heart, causing Hook to cry out in pain. The heart crumbled into ash, Hook falling to the ground, lifeless.

* * *

Emma suddenly shot up from the bed, looking around her almost in a panic. Her breathing was fast and rugged, her heart beating tremendously. After a moment, she saw that Killian was asleep next to her and it was still fairly dark outside.

Killian stirred from his sleep when Emma snapped up. "Love?" He quietly whispered out to her, his hand reaching out to hers. "Is everything alright?"

Emma stumbled, "Yeah...just...a nightmare." She slowly settled back down into the bed, wrapping her arms around Killian and resting her head on his chest.

"It was just a silly dream, sweetheart, it's not real. Everything's alright, just try to get some sleep, okay?"

Emma nodded and cuddled closer into him. She could sense that he had fallen back asleep soon after.

She, however, had spent the rest of the night awake, her fear building within her.

Chapter Seven - A Fractured Family

Merlin entered into Gold's shop.

Gold looked up from his place at the counter. "Ah, and so we meet again, old friend. How can I help you this time?"

Merlin smiled, taking a step towards the counter. "I actually came to thank you. Arthur told me that you had helped him fight off Morgan. I thought that was quite unexpected of you, but I'm grateful."

Gold smiled, "Well, given our past, it may seem unlikely to you, but the Dark One has a heart, too. I knew how lost and alone the boy must have felt without you."

Merlin nodded.

Gold paused for a moment and stared at Merlin, curiously. "You haven't told them yet, have you?"

"No." Merlin replied, honestly.

"Well, why not?" Gold questioned.

"Because if I did, they would never look at me the same way again. How do you think Arthur would feel knowing that what he's believed his whole life were all lies?"

Gold shook his head, "I can imagine he'd be quite surprised, though I believe his heart would be able to handle it somehow. You've been running for a long time, Merlin, but you can't run forever. You know that."

Merlin remained silent. "I did what I had to to protect the boy. Nothing more."

Gold nodded, "That might be the case, Merlin, but we both know, history has a way of revealing itself. You have to tell Arthur the truth about his father and what you did. It is the only thing that will set both you and the boy free."

The old wizard stared at the man before him, fully knowing that he was right.

* * *

_The man had stumbled into his home, holding a bottle of liquorand breathing heavily._

_Ruth stood up from her table inside of the small house and approached her husband. "Uther, when will this end? Your constant drinking is damaging this family and our good name."_

_"My name has already been damaged enough, what more could a little harm do?" Uther replied back to her, half drunk._

_Ruth rolled her eyes. "What more could it do? We have a son to raise, someone who should look at you as a role model, not just the tavern drunk." She pointed over to David, who was now a young child, no more than seven years old. "How will he ever grow up to be a good father when his own disappears at all times and wanders about the village drunk!" The woman's voice rose, unintentionally. She never liked fighting with her husband in front of her son. She turned to her child, sweetly. "David, why don't you go fetch me some flowers from the garden?" The boy left the small house, almost relieved that he didn't have to see his parents fighting again._

_Ruth turned back to her husband, "Uther, this has got to stop. Our family depends on it. David is such an impressionable boy these days and in a village like ours, he needs someone to look up to."_

_"I just don't think I'm that person." Uther replied, lowering his head. "After the Ogre Wars struck Camelot all those years ago, I just haven't felt the same. David would be better off without his runaway coward of a father..." He stumbled over his words._

_"Uther! That's just not true."_

_"It is. I want to change for the boy, for his sake." He told Ruth. "Tomorrow, when I set off to gather our farming supplies, I will swear off my dependency on drinking. I will beat this. I'll return a better man for David, someone he can look up to. I have to be better for him."_

_Ruth smiled, "You really mean it?"_

_"Yes, when I return in two weeks time, I want to do what is best for my son and I want to give him a life that he deserves - a happy one."_

_Ruth leaned in and lightly kissed Uther's cheek._

* * *

Gold looked up from the counter when the bell at the front of the show rang and he saw Belle enter.

"Belle?" He said, walking out from behind the counter. "What are you doing here?"

"Rumple, I...I've been doing a lot of thinking about us recently and I wanted to apologize."

He stepped closer to her. "Why would you ever need to apologize after everything that I've done?"

"Because I keep telling you to try and be a better man and, yes, I still want that, but I never fell in love with a man that was absolutely perfect. I do admit that I was so upset and disappointed with you, but I wasn't really even giving you a chance after you returned to Storybrooke. I...do want you to become a better man, but I don't want you to change who you are, either. I don't know what to do."

Gold turned around, "Well, ever since this new fairy has moved into town, I've not made any deals, nor have I performed any tricks and any magic that I have used at all has been to protect others."

"I know, Rumple, and I'm so proud of you." Belle sighed, "A part of just has a hard time trusting that it will remain that way forever."

Gold nodded, "I suppose you'll have to learn how to trust me again, just as I will have to learn to put power aside and be a better man."

Belle sighed and nodded, turning towards the door. She turned back to him. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

He looked up at her, perplexed and shook his head. "No, I don't believe so."

"Would you like to go on a date, then?" Belle smiled and shrugged. "I know, that sounds so strange, especially since I don't think we've ever actually been on one before."

"I would love to, Belle." Gold smiled, surprised, but completely excited to actually be spending a night with her. "And where would you like our date to be?"

Belle smiled and placed a finger on her chin. "Mmm, not Granny's. As much as I love the diner, it's not exactly the most romantic place to have a dinner."

"Romantic?" Gold looked at her, surprised.

She looked down, sheepishly. "Well, I thought we could at least take small steps towards getting back to a good place with each other. I think a nice date could serve us well. Help us spend some time just...alone with each other, no talking about magical powers or fake daggers, just us being with each other."

Gold smiled, "That sounds nice."

Belle let out a small laugh and headed towards the door, "Right, so you can stop by Granny's around eight tonight and by then, hopefully I would have found a place where we can spend our evening."

He smiled, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She looked back at him and smiled, "Me too, Rumple."

After she had left, he stood at the counter for a moment longer, with a smile on his face. He moved over towards the door and put a sign in front of it. He closed the shop early and decided to start preparing for his date.

* * *

Arthur was at one of the booths in Granny's diner, along with Merlin, Mary Margaret and David. While David was looking over the menu and Mary Margaret was swaddling the baby, Arthur was doing his best to introduce Merlin to the new realm.

"So, I haven't been in Storybrooke long, but these hamburger things that they have, they taste pretty good. They're sort of like a less flavorful chimera." Arthur said, opening his menu.

Merlin laughed, "My boy, you forget, I have been in Storybrooke for some time before I awoke you from your stone-like state."

David looked up from the menu, "Speaking of which, how did you manage quite a feat? I can't imagine this fairy made it too easy for you."

"Believe me, she didn't. With my heart in her hands, I had to act carefully, but I managed to break free for some time and keep her entrapped with my magic wand. It was only after Arthur was set free that she got hold of both my wand and my heart."

Arthur smiled, "But we got them back, so whatever she's planning has been put on hold. We know that Emma and I are strong purveyors of light magic. You too, Snow. I think that is the key to defeating her. Now, we just have to actually get an opportunity to do so."

David smiled and turned to his wife, "Yes, but until then, we do have our lives to carry out. You have a class to get to."

Mary Margaret quickly moved out of the booth, handing the baby to her husband. "Oh, I had nearly forgotten! Don't wait up for me, I have to head over to City Hall after school to start making planning arrangements for the ball. Don't worry, we'll find a way to stop this fairy. If she interrupts this ball, believe me, I'll make sure that all hell is paid on her behalf."

As Mary Margaret moved towards the door, Hook entered into the diner and moved past her. They quickly greeted each other, before Hook made his way over to the booth.

"Mate, do you think we have a chat for a moment?" He directed towards Arthur.

Arthur looked around and then back at him. "Yeah. Sure, what's up?"

The pirate raised his eyebrow and looked at David. "I meant without any additional company. No hard feelings, mates."

David crossed his arms and sighed, wondering only what the pirate could possibly be talking about. Still, Arthur rose up from his seat and the two of them went over to the far side of the counter.

Arthur turned to him, but he didn't say anything. "Hook? I believe you wanted to talk?"

Hook sighed, "It's about Emma. I'm worried about her. She came to me last night. Whatever this fairy is doing to her, whatever games she's playing, it's messing with Emma's mind. I...I'm scared for her."

The king looked down and sighed, "Hook, honestly, I'm scared for her, too. When I saw the confrontation between her and Morgan the other day, the person I saw, it wasn't Emma. Her powers of light are far more powerful than whatever darkness Morgan wields, but maybe she just doesn't believe that. I think, the best thing to do right now is to comfort Emma, make her feel safe and undestructable."

Hook smirked, "Believe me, Swan's proven to me that she's undestructable. I just want to let her know that I'm here for her, regardless of how light or dark her heart is." He replied sheepishly, looking down.

Arthur smiled, "Wow. It sounds like you really love her and that's more powerful than anything."

"I do love her." Hook replied, sincerely. "I've never said as much to her, but I think, hopefully, she knows."

Arthur laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hook, you've never told her? I think that might be the solution to make her feel a bit better, don't you?"

Hook sighed, "Look, mate, I might be extremely attractive and bloody fantastic, but she just makes me feel these emotions that it's hard to keep inside - love, happiness, especially the way she kisses, it-"

"Okay, whoa, Hook. I get it. It's clear why you didn't want to talk with David now."

The pirate looked at the king. "I...just love her more than anything. I feel like...even if I try to tell her, my words won't be enough to really express everything I'm feeling."

"Hook, don't overthink it. Just be honest about your feelings for her. Let them do the talking. I get that you might be nervous, it's completely understandable, but the things you're struggling to say might be just what she needs to hear. Often, the things that are the hardest to say are the ones that need to be heard."

Hook nodded and smirked, "You're right. I suppose I'd end up having to tell her eventually; maybe it's best when she needs to hear it the most." He sighed, feeling nervous. "I might need to get a few drinks beforehand to calm down."

From the booth, David tried to make out what Arthur and Hook were talking about, but it seemed useless. He continued to rock the baby.

"You're quite good with him, you know." Merlin said.

"What?" David turned back to him, taken out of his momentary trance.

"The child. You make a good father, David." Merlin smiled at the man sitting across from the booth.

David smiled back at him. "Well, I'm still learning. I've never really had the chance of being a father before this. Emma was gone before we barely had a chance to hold her and, well, we spent decades apart. With Emma, we didn't have a choice, but now, I want to make sure that I am there for my son. Growing up without a father is just...heart-breaking."

Merlin looked down. "Yeah..."

"Growing up, I only really had my mother and the farm we lived on. My father was a drunk and left the two of us behind often. I remember him saying that he would try to be a better man for me...but he never did. He died before he even had the chance. Thinking back now, growing up without a father, someone there to guide me, was far more difficult than I remember it being. I don't know how Emma, Arthur, any of us got through it."

Merlin took a deep sigh and started, "David, there's something that y-"

David's phone then went off. He reached into his pocket and picked it up. "Hello?"

'Dad? It's Emma. You need to come down to the Storybrooke Convent. I think our good fairy friend just got hold of her next victim.'

David looked up from the phone and alerted Hook and Arthur from the counter across the room. "That was Emma. She says Morgan is acting up again at the convent. The other fairies might be in danger. Come on, let's head out."

* * *

_Two weeks had passed quick enough for Uther, who had traveled through the nearby villages to pick up farming supplies on his way back home. He had stopped for a short bit at one of the nearby taverns. Truth be told, the journey was a strenuous one and a part of him dreaded having to return home, back to a life where he and undoubtedly, his family, was unhappy. The more he had thought about it, the more depressed he had come. He had a wife that once loved him, but it seemed that fire was slowly burning out and a son that deserved the best, but he knew that he could not offer him that. He truly did believe that letting go of his son would give him his best chance. He would not have a drunken, fool of a father to look up to._

_The more he thought about his deteriorating family life, the more it drove his urge for a drink. As the night sky had fallen, he became more tired with every step he took. Before he had left the village, he had stopped at the local tavern and, as much as he had tried to fight the urge, sat down for a few drinks, staying til the early morning._

_He stumbled out of the bar and back out towards the caravan, where he had kept his supplies. He lifted the wooden pools of the caravan up with each of his hands and slowly began to trek out of the village and towards the mountains that led to the other nearby towns. King George's castle could be seen in the far distance of the woods. As he stumbled across the mountain path, his drunkeness and the night sky proved to get the better of him._

_Not only was hid mind not in a good place, but he was not thinking straight to begin with. He stumbled and tripped over his own feet, as the mountain path had become narrower. Soon, the man's intoxication got the better of him, when he found himself falling off of the side of the mountain and into the ravine below, his caravan crashing down above him. As he fell, a tree at the base of the ravine broke his fall, as the man crashed to the ground, his cart and all of his supplies scattering about around him. He laid there, lifeless, unable to move._

_The next morning, the local village constable had spotted the poor man and his fallen caravan from the mountain path and purported that the man must have died from falling into the ravine. They soon recognized the man as Uther, who had traveled through their village days before to gather supplies. The men decided to travel back to Uther's farm to infrom his son and his wife of his passing._

_The sun had risen directly above the ravine, when Uther's eyes snapped open. He couldn't move at all and his back was in seething pain. He couldn't feel his legs or his arms. They were all still attached to him, but it felt incredibly numb. From what he could see of his body, it was covered in scratches and blood. He tried to move, but was met with a painful grunt. He supposed he would just lay there and wait until death had claimed him._

_Suddenly, a woman came into his vision and rushed to his side, placing a chalice of water at his mouth, making sure the man drank something. His face was covered in sweat and blood._

_"Here, drink. You must be thirsty." The woman tried wiping the blood away from his face, but it didn't work much. She felt his skin, as if it was as hot as fire. She called to the men who were traveling with her, signaling them to help the man onto their caravan of village goods. Two men came by and lifted the man up. At this point, Uther had completely blacked out and had fallen unconscious. The men placed his body onto their caravan and started making their way off._

_They continued down the road for sometime, as Uther was drifting in and out of consiousness. He slowly cracked open his eyes and saw that the sun was setting and the night sky was starting to overtake the sky. Truth be told, he didn't know anything about the people he was with, but he didn't really care. They didn't seem to want to do him any harm. They suddenly stopped in the middle of a large open field and started to set up camp for the evening. Within moments, tents had been pitched and a fire had been started. The men took hold of Uther's body and placed him on a sack of flour they had with them._

_Uther tried to lift himself up, but it was still no use. Several bones in his body were broken._

_"Careful. Don't move. Lie back down." The woman said, approaching him, and placing her dark green shaul over the man's body. "You must have taken a nasty fall. I was worried you weren't going to make it out alive."_

_"I still d-don't think I am." Uther could barely choke out. "W-who are you?"_

_"My name is Igraine. I'm from a kingdom called Camelot." She told him._

_"Camelot?" He questioned, almost out of concern._

_"Yes. It is a grand kingdom, with many villages and people that call it home. Not long ago, our kingdom was struck by dangerous ogre attacks, but it has since returned to peace and is growing in prosperity with each day. Have you ever heard of it?"_

_"No. I'm afraid not." He lied, deciding it would be best to keep his past experience in the Ogre Wars and the forging of Excalibur with Rumplestiltskin to himself._

_"And what about you?" The woman asked, smiling at him. "What's your name?"_

_"Uther." He replied simply. "I'm a farmer from the village. I was in town gathering supplies, when I must have taken a pretty bad fall."_

_"Oh! Right. Here, let me." Igraine knelt closer down to him and cast out her hand. Then, a purple haze seemed to cover Uther's body. A relaxing, soothing sensation spread throughout his body, before the haze faded away. "There. Good as new."_

_Uther slowly sat up, his eyes wide with astonishment. He could finally move. His cuts had been completely healed. It was like nothing had even happened at all. "That...was incredible. I've never seen magic like that before, not that I've had many experiences with it."_

_Igraine let out a small giggle. "I was born with these powers, to heal people, to spread light, some legends say that it's called light magic, but to me it's just ordinary. Here. Watch." She knelt down towards the grass and placed her hand towards it, as twinkling sparkles appeared from it. A flower patch began to blossom from within the grass fields. "I have many talents and the more I've studied them, the more I realize what I can do."_

_"That's amazing." Uther said, astonished. It was then, seeing her there, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. She had beautiful, green eyes and curly brunette hair that cascaded down her back. For a moment, he couldn't take his eyes off of her._

_"Well, then Uther, now that you're healed, I suppose you'll be leaving us in the morning? You must have a family to go back to." She said, thoughtfully._

_Uther paused for a moment, his facial expression falling. "No. I have no family to return to. I...was actually...just leaving my farm for good."_

_"Oh, well, you're welcome to stay with us longer if you'd like to. We're making our way back to Camelot. We should arrive there by midday tomorrow."_

_Uther pointed at the other two men sitting across from the fire. "And who are they?"_

_Igraine smiled, "That's Merlin. He's my father and a nobleman in the king's court. And that next to him is Percival, lead knight, son of Camelot's King Pellinore. Everything is a mission to the two of them, even if it is just retrieving goods from a nearby village."_

_Uther turned back to her, confused. "And you would really let me stay with you? Why?"_

_Igraine sighed and fiddled with her fingers. "Because I've already used my light magic on you and that is not something I do often, especially for complete strangers. I don't know. I guess...I'm just a caring person. I want to make sure you're okay." She adjusted the shaul over him, making sure he was comfortable. "All I'm saying is to think about it." She winked at him before joining her father._

_Uther rested back down, lying on his back, as he tried to scrub the dirt from his face. Could he really pursue a new life for himself, somewhere where nobody knew where he was and he had no obligations. The thought was enticing. He did have a wife and a son back at the farm, but his heart kept telling him, that they were better off without him. He couldn't tell where this dark throughts were coming from, but he couldn't stop himself from believing that they were true. His wife and his son would not have to deal with the trouble of having him around and by this time, they already thought that he was dead. His mind regretted thinking it, but maybe it was time to leave his past behind him._

_'Maybe starting off someplace new could be a good thing for everyone?'_

* * *

David, Hook, Arthur and Merlin had met up with Emma outside of the Storybrooke Convent and they approached the stone statue of Mother Superior on the outside of the building.

David sighed, "Well, I guess we know why we were called then."

Emma came up to them with Tinker Belle following behind her. "Tink thinks that Morgan must have broken into the place last night."

Tink nodded, "Her wand is missing. She must have stolen it after she turned Blue to stone. The fairies and I have turned the place upside down trying to find it, but it's gone."

"Then, I think we know why she paid you a visit." Hook said. "That fairy is powerful enough on her own, but she needs her wand for something."

Merlin knelt down next to the stone statue of Mother Superior. "Arthur, you were entrapped in stone for quite awhile in Storybrooke, but it was my light magic that was able to release you. Perhaps it can be done again?"

He rolled up the sleeves of his robe and straightened out his long white beard, before he made his wand materialize. With a flick of his wand, a spark of light shot out and engulfed Mother Superior. When the shimmer faded, Mother Superior was still encased in stone.

Merlin sighed, "I don't understand. It worked before."

"That's because Morgan's magic wasn't as strong then." Arthur confirmed. "She wanted me to be released in Storybrooke. She wanted to get her hands on Excalibur. She needs it, just like she needs your wand, too."

Hook sighed, "And at the rate she's going, I won't be surprised if she gets them."

Emma looked at the others, "Then, we stop her before she gets the chance."

* * *

Belle stared at herself in the mirror of Granny's Inn, flattening out the creases in her red dress that she had decided to wear for her date later that evening. She turned around to Ruby, who was sitting on her bed.

"So, how do I look?" Belle said, giving a little spin.

"You look wonderful, Belle." Ruby smiled. "You're really trying to pull out all the stops, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Belle looked back to Ruby.

"Well, the dress, the hair, the shoes. I don't think you need to make much of a good impression on Gold. You're already married."

Belle smiled and took a seat on the bed next to her. "I know. I just want to make sure that everything goes perfectly though. Dates weren't things that Rumple and I really ever experienced, unless you classify dates as doing chores and taking care of a pawn shop."

"Nope. Those absolutely were not dates." Ruby laughed.

"Which is why I want to make sure an actual date that we go on goes perfectly." She pressed a hand against her stomach. "I can't help but feel a little nervous. He's my husband, of course I feel comfortable around him, but that doesn't stop me from feeling nervous, too. Does that sound strange?"

Ruby smiled, "Hmm. Not at all. It's a good kind of nervousness right?"

Belle smiled, "Yes."

"Well, I think that's a good sign - after all the years of being together, you can still give each other butterflies. I'm sure he feels the same way, too."

Belle took a deep sigh and looked at her friend.

"Belle, relax. You've already married Gold. I think you would have gotten most of your nerves out of the way by this point."

"I know, I know. It's just...this is the first tim we've really been together since we've started confronting our problems. It's like...this is the first night we're a couple again after everything that's happened."

Ruby tilted her head, "Well, despite everything the two of you have been through, you still love him?"

She smiled, "Of course I do."

"Well, then I think that should make your night a little easier." Ruby smiled. "Come on, you should finished getting ready."

As Ruby got up from the bed, Belle turned towards the mirror, flattening out the creases in her dress once more before staring at herself confidently with a smile on her face.

* * *

Emma lead the others back towards Main Street, heading towards Gold's shop.

"Emma? Where exactly are you going?" Arthur called out to Emma, who was leading them down the street. "Merlin already tried his magic. It didn't work. We're going to have to find another way to restore them."

"And that probably means destroying the fairy." Hook concluded.

Emma turned back to them, "Look, I'm going to Gold. I'm sure he has some magic solution to turn Mother Superior back. He always does."

"I wouldn't put much hope into it, Emma." David said, "If Merlin's powerful light magic couldn't do anything to effect her powers, you really think Gold's could?"

"I don't know!" Emma turned around and snapped. "What I do know is that this fairy is dangerous and we need to destroy her before she destroys us!" She turned away from them, leaving the others silenced.

Hook approached her. "Are you okay, love?"

Emma sighed, continuing to walk down the path. "No, I'm not. I'm the savior, but, I haven't been doing much saving recently, especially against this dark fairy."

"That's ridiculous, Emma. You're helping Arthur, you helped save Merlin. I think you're doing a pretty good job."

"Yeah and where will it get us?" Emma shook her head. "We still have a dark fairy lurking around the corner, people are being turned to stone and I'm in the middle of it, not able to do anything. I have these 'light magic' powers, but even they can't stop Morgan for good." She continued walking down the street, Hook following her. David, Arthur and Merlin followed a bit behind them.

Emma made it to the front of Gold's shop and saw that the store had been locked and closed for the day. She let out a grunt and replied sarcastically, "Well, that's just great." She kicked the wall at the side of the door.

Hook took hold of her hand. "Emma, love, please calm down."

Emma turned to him, doing her best to keep her anger on a leash.

"We will stop her and everything will be back to normal. I promise."

Emma sighed deeply and looked up at his eyes. "You seem pretty confident about that."

"I'm confident about you. I know what you can do. You don't stay down for long."

A small smile grew on Emma's lips. "Sometimes, I don't know what I'd do without you, Killian." She brought him in for a quick embrace.

David looked at the two of them, "Ookay, what the hell is happening?"

Arthur smacked his shoulder, "Leave them alone. Hook has good intentions." He whispered to David. "If you even move or say anything, I will tackle you to the ground. Emma will be fine."

David's mouth shut from the light-hearted threat.

While Emma was hugging, Hook looked over towards Arthur, who shot him an encouraging look, specifically thinking back to the conversation that they had earlier. He pulled back slightly so that he could see Emma's face.

He smiled down at her and took a deep breath, "Emma, I l-"

"THAT FAIRY HAS LOST HER MIND!" Leroy said, running down the street towards the group.

The small group looked around them, seeing the dwarf running up to them, out of breath, a look of disdain on his face.

"Leroy? What happened?" David questioned.

"It was that evil fairy! We were coming home from working in the mines, when she showed up and turned them all to stone! I managed to get away, but my six brothers weren't." Leroy said in one big huff.

"Well then, it seems like our fairy friend is picking off the people one by one in this town to turn them into stone." Hook said.

"She's just doing it to show how powerful she is." Arthur said. "It's a game she's playing."

"Come on, Leroy. Show us the way." Emma said, moving away from Hook and following the man.

Hook stared off at them, disappointed, but continued following after them a moment later.

* * *

_Uther and Igraine, along with their traveling companions, had made it back to Camelot, where Igraine had welcomed Uther to stay in their home with them. As her father retried to bed early that evening, Igraine went to Uther who had made himself comfrotable by the fire that they had in the den of their home._

_"Do you want to try to learn?" Igraine started, "Light magic?"_

_"You can teach people?" Uther sat up from his comfortable position._

_"Well, I haven't taught anyone yet, only myself really. The more I became used to this magic, the more I grew to understand it. I've heard it's much more difficult for someone to learn magic than it is for someone who is already born with it, but we can still try." She held out her hand. "Here, hold out your palm."_

_He did so and closed his eyes, concentrating._

_"I beleive that magic comes from emotion. You have to think about hope and belief to make your powers push through. Don't think, just become." With that, a small ray of light appeared from within Igraine's hand. "See? It's not too difficult."_

_Uther tried harder, but nothing happened. "No, it's not happening. I don't think I'm capable of using light magic."_

_"Well, maybe not quite yet, but maybe, someday you will be." Igraine placed her hand in his and smiled._

_Three months had soon passed and Uther had established quite a content life for himself in Camelot and had grown considerable closer to Igraine. Inside, he had felt tremendously guilty for leaving his wife and his child, but he continuously told himself that it would be better for them, despite the fact that, he himself, was trying to become a better man. He was working on finding work in the village and established a small hovel for himself on the outskirts of the marketplace. On the other hand, Igraine's father had taken a turn for the worse and was deathly ill._

_He was able to create a new life for himself there in Camelot, along with a woman that he grew to enjoy being with, dare he even say, love. From the way that she had treated him and cared for him, he could tell that she had felt the same, too. He was taken out of his thoughts when Igraine entered into his home._

_"Dear?" Uther went over to greet her and sensed the concern growing in her eyes._

_"Uther, there's something I have to tell you, but I don't know how you'll react to it. I'm scared." She said, in a hushed, whispered voice._

_"Igraine, you know that you can tell me anything." Uther assured her._

_She took a few deep breaths and then a few moments later, she responded. "We're pregnant."_

_"What?" Uther said, surprised._

_"I know, this is a big surprise for the both of us and we didn't expect it to happen, but-"_

_"Dear, this is amazing!" He went over to her and embraced her. "We're expecting a child!"_

_Igrained looked up from the embrace, smiling, "So, you're happy about this? About us having a baby?"_

_"I'm beyond happy. I'm ecstatic. We're having a child." He repeated again, as if his words solidified the idea more._

_Igraine smiled and took hold of his hands, "I suppose that means that you'll be staying in Camelot for good then, doesn't it?"_

_Uther laughed, "Well, I do find my new home quite comfortable. I suppose we'll have to expand our quarters once the child arrives."_

_She sighed, "I just wish father could be around a little bit longer to see the baby. He always said that I would make a wonderful mother, one day. It's a shame he'll never know."_

_Uther embraced her tightly. "Igraine, Merlin is right. You will be a wonderful mother and I will do everything I can to make sure that I am the best possible man for you and for my child. No matter what, we will always be there for each other._

_Igrained smiled and leaned up to him. "I love you."_

_"I love you, too." He smiled back at her, before kissing her._

_As excited as they had been about their pregnancy, the days that followed were filled with sadness, as Merlin had succumbed to his illness and passed away._

* * *

There was a knock on Belle's door at the inn. She got up from the bed and made her way over to the door, opening it to find Gold standing there in a dark grey suit, wearing a black tie.

Gold raised his eyebrows and smiled at her. "You look absolutely stunning."

"You're not so bad yourself." Belle smiled back to him, grabbing her coat and throwing it on, making her way out of the room, being led out of the inn by Gold.

"So, where shall we be enjoying our evening?" Gold turned to her.

Belle smiled and led him down the street, "Well, there is a lovely Italian restaurant called Tony's that I found. It's just off of Main Street. I think it would be perfect for tonight."

The two of them soon made their way over to the restaurant. Inside, they were led over to their table, where a candle was lit on the table. The lights were dimmed throughout the restaurant, the main lighting coming from the candlelight and the dimly-lit chandelier that hung from the center of the main dining room. The two of them were sat at a table at the far end of the dining hall, in a secluded alcove by a stone fireplace.

Belle looked up and smiled at him, "I'm happy that we're finally doing this."

"Me too, Belle." He reached up about to grab her hand, but stopped himself, not wanting to over-step his boundaries.

She saw the reaction and gingerly decided to place her hand on top of his, reassuringly, as if saying that it was okay to try to be romantic towards her. "I've missed you, Rumple. I really have. I know the love between us has never been easy, but that doesn't mean I ever stopped caring about you."

"I've always cared about you, Belle." Gold said to her.

"Not always." Belle smiled and laughed. "Not when I first moved into your castle and you had me cleaning the place. I didn't see much care there, did I?"

"Well, I must say, you grew on me quite a bit." Gold smiled.

"I could say the same about you." Belle smiled sincerely back.

Gold paused for a moment, looking at her. "Belle, why did you stay? With me? I once let you go, I once gave you your freedom, but you came back to my castle. Why?"

"After all this time, you still have to ask yourself that, Rumple?" Belle tilted her head. "Because I loved you. That's why I came back. Yes, when we first met, I saw a man that let his temper and his power control him, but I soon realized that there was something about you that I had never noticed before. You had a heart and there was a lot of love inside of it, for both me and your son. When I walked into your castle for the first time, it was an adventure to be taken. Living in a castle, protecting my kingdom, even having the chance to fall in love, even if it meant that finding true love was never going to be an easy path."

"And you decided to fall in love with a beast?" Rumple smiled.

"Rumple, you're not a beast. You're not a monster. You're a conflicted man. You've lost love many times, you've lost your son, you have your entire being controlled by the power of a dagger, that's a lot for any person to go through. I can understand that, after everything you've been through, gaining and keeping your power might seem like the most important thing."

Gold looked down at her hands, "It's not, Belle. I sought power because I wanted to keep my loved ones safe, but I did also want to keep harnessing power for my own, selfish needs, to be perfectly honest. But after losing you many times already, I learned that I would much rather lose my power than ever lose you again. It just took me awhile to understand that. Power comes at a great cost and if that cost is you, Belle, to hell with whatever power I get if it means losing you."

"Rumple, we have not spent our life losing each other, we've spent it finding each other all over again. Maybe the love between us, whatever form it might take, it might not be easy and it might be a challenge for the both of us, but it is an adventure just waiting to be discovered. It's what I always wanted."

"And after everything that we've been through, the challenges and the struggles that we've faced, it's all still worth it?"

"More than anything. It might not be the life or the love I thought I would have, but it has been so much more that what I thought it would be."

* * *

"She just came out of nowhere and turned them all to stone in an instant." Leroy continued talking to Emma, leading them down the nighttime street, followed by the others.

Arthur turned back to Hook, walking in step with the pirate, "So, you and Emma seemed pretty close earlier. Did you finally tell her what you wanted to."

Hook shook his head, "Not yet, mate."

"Why not?"

"Well, excuse me for being interrupted by a boisterous dwarf. I don't think it was quite the appropriate time to dabble into romance."

Arthur sighed, but nodded his head in agreement. "I suppose you're right, but don't wait too long, mate. Emma might be the patient sort, but I've learned that love is about honesty and being genuine. Don't take anything for granted, especially time together."

Arthur walked a litle faster, leaving Hook with his thoughts as he rejoined Emma and Leroy. They spotted the six stone dwarfs at the corner of the street. Mary Margaret had already gathered in front of the dwarfs, holding the baby in her arms.

Mary Margaret turned back to them with tears in her eyes, "It was her, wasn't it? She did this."

"I'm afraid so, Mary Margaret." Emma said, "If we don't stop this fairy within a week, half of Storybrooke will be turned to stone."

"Well, we have to do something about this." Mary Margaret said. "We can't let her win."

"Sure you can." Morgan appeared behind them. "And you will. You won't have much of a choice, actually."

"You. You did all of this!" Mary Margaret stormed towards Morgan.

"Mary Margaret, don't!" Emma grabber her mother's arm.

"That's right, dear. Listen to your daughter. You don't want to end up like your six little friends there, now do you?"

"Morgan, stand down." Arthur demanded. "You can't win against all of us united together."

"He's right." David added, "We've taken down villains before and we'll do it again."

Morgan laughed like a child. "Oh, how sweet. I see the happy, little family has reunited at last, isn't it so, Merlin?"

Merlin stood his ground, glaring at the evil fairy. He felt his breath hitch, knowing that his entire life was going to come unraveling.

She smiled. "Oh. You haven't told them yet, have you? Who you are, what you've done and who you still pretend to be." She stepped closer towards the wizard, encircling around him. "It's quite a shame, Merlin. I didn't expect you to be the one to keep secrets, especially from your dear, sweet family."

Emma took out her gun and pointed it towards Morgan, "What the hell is she talking about?"

"Morgan, don't." He turned to her.

"You know, the things that are the hardest to say are the things that need to be heard, Merlin. You know this, and yet, here you are...still just as selfish, just as cowardish as you were all those years ago. You had the chance to be honest with yourself and your family, but you gave it up...just like your wife and son to pursue a 'better' life for you. Sounds more like craven self-interest to me."

"Please..." Merlin whispered.

Morgan laughed and replied darkly, "And yet, they call me the villain in this story and you claim to be a hero. It was a mistake to use the Sorcerer's hat to entrap me, Merlin. The Sorcerer may have taught you much, but it isn't helping now, is it? Perhaps if I was kept in that hat, your secrets would remain just that. Though, I do have Emma to thank for releasing me from the hat. She was truly responsible after all."

"I didn't know releasing the other fairies would release something like you, too." She replied coldly.

"Oh, don't worry, Emma. Storybrooke isn't to blame you for its' downfall, it's all on Merlin's shoulders. You can't hide your past forever, Merlin."

"Merlin, what is she talking about?" Arthur looked to the old wizard, concerned.

"Morgan, please, don't do this." Merlin replied, saddened.

"You know what I want." Morgan smiled. "Give me your wand back and your secrets will remain with you."

Merlin stood his ground, opening his mouth a few times, but the words never came. He couldn't give Morgan his wand, that was just another step closer to ensuring her victory. He lowered his head. "I can't."

Morgan sneered then, "Arthur, meet your father."

Arthur turned to Merlin with his eyes wide with surprise. Everyone else looked just as shocked as he did. "What?"

"You too, David." Morgan finished.

David stared at his father, surprised. He never even realized that this was the same man that left him and his mother when he was seven.

"There you have it, Merlin. Look at this little family now, though, it doesn't appear to be quite so happy anymore, does it? Look at your sons, the prince and the king, you should be so proud of them and here you are...still the coward, runaway farmer, throwing away your life, your family, to start off with a new one."

Arthur looked over to his newfound older brother, unable to say anything.

"Damn you, Morgan." Merlin whispered. "You waited for this moment. You wanted this to happen."

"I simply told them what they needed to hear, since you were far too scared to do it. It's not my fault it's a secret that would tear your family apart. Maybe you would have a happy ending if you had been honest with David and Arthur from the start, but alas, your end looks quite grim now, doesn't it?" With that, Morgan vanished.

The group was left behind to recuperate from the secret that had just been revealed to them.

* * *

_Eight months later._

_Igraine let out a cry as she gripped the sheets of the bed tightly until her knuckles turned white. Her entire body was dripping with sweat, as the midwife coached her through the birthing process._

_"Igraine, you are doing wonderful. One last push now." The midwife said._

_Uther was standing next to the bed, tightly holding onto Igraine's hand. The woman held on for dear life as she let out one final strong push, followed by several strong heavy sighs._

_"It's a boy!" Uther cheered. Moments later, the midwife instantly began cleaning off the newborn. Uther placed several kisses along Igraine's temple, as the two of them smiled._

_"What shall we call him, dear?" Uther turned to her._

_Igraine closed her eyes and smily confidently. "Arthur, for he will be both noble and courageous."_

_Uther went over to the midwife and took his son in his arms. He took his wife's shaul and securely wrapped it around the newborn. "Arthur..."_

_Igraine tried to get up, only to have her head spin. She leaned back down unable to get up. She slowly felt her heart beat begin to slow down. The baby soon loud out a loud cry, the first noise the child would ever create. Igraine's breath was slow, almost a challenge just to keep breathing._

_"Ut-ther, please." Igraine gasped out. He turned back to her, seeing her slowly sink back into the bed, clutching her stomach._

_"Igraine?" He ran over to her side, wiping the hair away from her face. "Igraine!" The midwife rushed alongside them and began to pat the woman's sweat away from her forehead._

_"I...I can't...breathe..." Igraine's breath was slowing even worse now._

_"Please, please, no! Don't leave me." Uther took hold of her hand, the baby crying. "You said that we would always be there for each other!"_

_Igraine's body began to grow tired, as she rested back. Her eyes slowly shut. "I love you, both of you."_

_Uther cried over her body, "Please, don't go. I love you."_

_He felt her hand become still within his, motionless._

_He cried looking over the dead body of his son's mother. He had loved her more than anything and now she was gone. He turned to look back down at Arthur, tears in his eyes. "I love you, Arthur." He gently placed a kiss on the newborn's head, as his crying subsided._

_Suddenly, a ray of light shot out from within the kiss, as Uther pulled back. It was light magic, just as Igraine said he would one day learn. He looked down at his newborn son and smiled._

_Arthur was born of true love._

* * *

The group turned to Merlin, looks of surprise on their face.

Emma turned to Merlin. "It's true. You're David and Arthur's father. They're brothers. You're my grandfather?" Mary Margaret went to stand next to her daughter. "It's true, isn't it?"

Merlin sighed, reluctantly, "Yes. It's true."

"You're Uther." David said, slowly walking to the man. "You left me and mom when I was only seven."

Merlin approached the man slowly, "Yes, son. I'm so sorry."

David punched Merlin across the face, sending the man to the ground.

"David!" Mary Margaret called after her husband.

"David!" "Stop, mate!" Arthur and Hook went over to David trying to restrain him. David struggled against them.

"It was because of you I had to grow up without a father! I had to listen to mother cry herself to sleep for too many nights! All because you wanted to start a new life for yourself in Camelot? You would abandon your son for that? I thought you were trying to be a better man! We thought you were dead."

Merlin slowly rose up, wiping the blood from his mouth. "David, I'm sorry. I let my own self-interest get in the way of my family. I thought it would be easier to start somewhere new then to fix what I already had?"

"So, you got a new family for yourself instead?" David sneered. "If only mother was alive to see the truth. You never even thought once to check up on your son or your first wife? That's despicable. That's not something a good father does to his family."

"David, please." Merlin begged. "I wanted to tell you, I did. I'm so sorry."

"I'd rather you be dead than be a man who would give up on his family." David replied coldly, before turning away from them. Mary Margaret and Emma followed behind him, slowly turning away from Arthur and Merlin. Hook and Leroy followed shortly behind them.

There was a long moment of silence afterwards, before Arthur finally turned to Merlin.

"You've been lying to me my whole life, Merlin." Arthur turned to the wizard, saddened.

Merlin moved closer to Arthur, extending his arms out. "Arthur, please, my boy, I-"

"Don't touch me." Arthur backed away from him. "Why? Why would you lie to me? Never tell me that I had a family? A brother?"

Merlin paused and opened his mouth, as if to gather his thoughts. "I...wanted to leave my past behind me. Never let my old name effect my life or yours, so I sought a new one."

"Don't say you did that for me. You did that for you. So you could start off somewhere completely new, where you didn't have to be Uther or a farmer or a coward or have any responsibilities. If you had just been honest with me, I would have accepted it, Merlin! I wanted a family! I wanted a brother and a father! You kept all of that from me and just told me lie after lie. I thought you were someone I could trust. How could I now, my own father? You're selfish, Merlin. You're selfish and a coward."

"Arthur, I know what I did was wrong. Please." Merlin took the man's hands and begged him for his forgiveness.

Arthur pulled back away from him. "No. David's right. You've done more harm than good to your family, both of them. I don't want to see you again." He walked away from the old wizard, who now had tears forming out of his eyes. He took a deep breath and turned back to the man, his newfound father. "All I wanted was a family that loved me, but...not this. This isn't family."

He turned around and walked away from the man, leaving Merlin alone with tears in his eyes.

* * *

_Merlin watched from their hovel as younger Arthur played with a group of friends out in the distant marketplace._

_"My, my, my, it's good to see you old friend?" Rumplestiltskin appeared behind him, sitting on the bed in his house._

_"Rumplestiltskin." Merlin said, surprised to see him here._

_"Yes, dearie. Eh, you look a bit different since I last saw you. A bit older, a bit unshaven." Rumple said lightly tugging on the man's beard. "I can see that light magic you've learned to possess has done no good keeping your appearance together." He giggled._

_"I can see your dark magic has done the same to you." Merlin countered._

_"Ah, touche." Rumple smiled._

_Merlin looked at the man sternly, "What are you doing here? I thought I'd seen the last of you after you tricked me."_

_Rumple rose up from his seat. "Ah, still bitter about that, I see. You should be proud you took part in forging the greatest blade to ever exist."_

_"If you are here to gloat, you might as well leave because I am in no mood." Merlin said, taking out his wand._

_"Now, now, who said anything about gloating? I'm here to offer you a deal, one you won't want to miss if you want to keep Arthur down the straight and narrow path."_

_"A deal?' Merlin mumbled. "I don't make deals with you anymore, not after last time."_

_"Ah, but you will this time. You see, this deal will ensure your son's safety."_

_Merlin's eyes widened, "Arthur is in danger?"_

_"Not yet, but one day he will be."_

_Merlin turned to him, "What do you know?"_

_Rumple smiled and let out a giggle, "I'll tell you what I know...if...you tell me where the Sorcerer keeps their hat." He encircled around the man. "I know you've been studying with them. They have great magic."_

_"What could you possibly want the hat for?"_

_"My motives, my business, it should be no concern of yours." Rumple awaited a few more moments. "Tick tock, dearie, your son's life could be at stake."_

_"The Sorcerer keeps his hat guarded by his apprentice. The apprentice resides in a small house at the base of the dark mountains in the northern region of the Enchanted Forest, but Rumplestiltskin, I pray you be cautious, the hat is more powerful than you know. It's secrets are yet to be uncovered by any Dark One. It's powers are a mystery."_

_"We shall see about that." Rumple let out a laugh. "Now, my turn. Your son, the one you happened not to walk away from..." Rumplestiltskin led Merlin out of the house and pointed towards the younger man, "...will one day be ruler of this entire kingdom and will be the very owner of Excalibur, as a vision tells me."_

_Merlin turned to him, "Arthur...will be king?"_

_"Indeed, dearie. When the time is right, the kingdom will need a king and they will find Excalibur and just as we had planned, only a heart that is pure and good, void of any darkness, will be able to pull the blade from the stone. Your son will do great things."_

_"How will that protect him?" Merlin said, turning to Arthur._

_"Because the ruler of the blade must use Excalibur to defeat a great evil along with the assistance of someone that I would like to refer to as 'the savior'. Together,they will accomplish great things."_

_"The savior?" Merlin questioned._

_"Yes, the one who shall restore the world's happy endings. Both she and your son will possess a heart that is pure and good and that, dearie, is more powerful than any magic either one of us could possess."_

_Merlin turned to look at Arthur, who was coming back from the village._

_"I must be on my way now, other deals to make, dearie. Make sure you take good care of your son this time, trying to be the best man you could ever hope to be for him."_

_Before Rumple left, he turned back to Merlin. "It was nice to see you again...Uther."_

* * *

Gold walked Belle back up to the front door of her room at Granny's inn. At the door, she smiled and turned back to him.

"I had a wonderful time with you tonight, Rumple."

"As did I." Gold brought out his hand. "One last touch." He made a rose magically appear within his palm, before extending out towards Belle.

She giggled lightly, carefully taking the rose from him. "Thank you." She delicately traced her hands along the petals of the rose. "I hope we can go on our next date soon."

"Me, too." Gold smiled, clearling his throat. "Goodnight, Belle."

She opened the door to her room, "Goodnight, Rumple." She watched as the man turned away from her and began making his way back down the hall. A slight twinge of sadness then hit her heart, as she watched him walk away.

"Rumple!" She shouted out after him. Her lips and actions moving before she could even comprehend them.

Gold turned around, just as Belle extended her arms around him and pulled him in to kiss him. Their kiss continued as she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. After a short while, they both pulled back, breathless.

* * *

Arthur was sitting at the counter of 'The Rabbit Hole' bar and club. In front of him were about half a dozen empty shot glasses that used to contain liquor or rum or anything that would numb what he was feeling at the moment. The bartender came up to him and handed him another drink.

"Well, it seems like you and I have another thing in common." Hook said, taking a seat next to Arthur. "We both like our drinks."

"Hey, Hook." Arthur said, while taking a gulp from his drink. "I typically don't drink, but after today,...yeah, I need it. I see us becoming best friends, you and I." Arthur slurred, patting Hook on the head.

"You haven't returned back home, have you? You haven't spoke to David or Merlin at all?"

"Nope." Arthur said, tracing the rim on the outside of the glass with his finger. "I will eventually...but, I need some time to myself. I was living with these people the whole time, not knowing that they were my secret father, who had me with his wife after leaving his first wife and son behind, who would one day marry Snow White and have my niece, who you are in love with."

Hook shook his head and raised his eyebrow. "Yep. It's weird when you put it like that."

A moment passed between the two of them, before they looked at each other and let out a loud laugh.

"It's hysterical is what it is." Arthur concluded.

Hook nodded, "You'll come to realize, in Storybrooke, nearly everyone is related somehow."

"Just...if I had known what I do now years ago, it would have just saved David and I all the trouble in the first place. I wouldn't have searched so long to find a family, when there really was one hidden away right in front of my eyes."

"Well, mate. You wanted your family so much, what are you doing here drinking in a bar?" Hook said, taking a sip from his drink.

"Like I said, I still need some time. Besides, I could ask the same about you. Aren't you suppose to be swooping Emma off of her feet?" Arthur smiled at the pirate.

" A little extra courage never hurt." Hook patted Arthur on the shoulder. "Besides. after today, I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Wow. That's nice of you." Arthur said.

"Well, we are friends now, aren't we?" Hook replied.

"Yeah, we're friends." Arthur smiled at the pirate. "Now, go, Emma's waiting."

"Okay." Hook said, taking one last drink from his glass. "I can do this."

"Hook, just remember, be genuine about your feelings. Let her know how much you love her and don't take anything for granted. I've been through it all before and...I wish I could go back to the time when I told someone that I loved them for the first time. It was...magical. It was scary. It was relieving. It was difficult to say...but it needed to be heard. Love for me didn't work out the way I thought it would, but...it didn't make me stop believing in it, either. Even if things don't go the way you expect them to, it's at least another step closer to finding your happy ending."

Hook smiled back at him, "Thanks, mate." He walked out of the bar, leaving Arthur at the counter.

Hook walked down the street and started making his way towards Main Street. He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Emma, it's Killian. If you could, come meet me at the clocktower in ten minutes. I have to talk to you." He hung up the phone, feeling confident.

After taking another gulp from his drink, Arthur decided that it really would be best if he went home, back to his family. It felt so strange to actually think of him having an actual family now.

He rose from his seat and left the bar, seeing that Hook had already made his way down the streets. He continued down the street, before a shadow passed over him.

"All alone are you, Arthur?" Morgan replied, stepping towards him.

"Morgan, stay back." Arthur put his hand out in front of him.

"Oh, don't be alarmed, Arthur. We're a lot alike you and I. We both have a great deal of darkness within our hearts, waiting to be awakened. Even a heart that is pure and good can be shrouded in darkness, blinding one to the feelings of love, happiness, content. In the darkness, all that matters is power. With your heart shrouded in darkness, you won't be able to use Excalibur."

"I will never let myself fall to your darkness."

"Well, you won't have to. Your heart is too pure to completely fall to the darkness." Morgan smiled. "But thankfully, my dark fairy dust will shroud your heart, your mind and make you believe that you're heart is completely taken by the darkness." She brought out her palm and blew into it, sending the dust racing towards Arthur's heart., as he froze, unable to move. The dust dissolved into his chest, as Arthur's eyes darkened, a dark smile stretching across his face.

* * *

"David, don't you think you are acting a bit out of control?" Mary Margaret whispered to David, trying not to alert Merlin who was in the room right next door to them.

"After what he did to my mother and I, the lies that he's kept, I don't think so!" David countered, before noticing Emma walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Mary Margaret called out.

"Out real quick. Hook called. He needs something. I'll be back in a bit." Emma said, before exiting out of the apartment.

She made it to her car and drove quickly through the town to make it to the clocktower. She parked her buggy outside and noticed that Hook hadn't made it just yet. She waited outside of the building for a few minutes before she noticed a figure approaching her through the dark of the night.

"Hook, there you are. I was waiting." She said.

Morgan appeared out of the night. "I've been waiting for you, too, Emma, so that you could finally join Arthur as a puppet of darkness."

Emma's eyes widened.

"That heart of light you possess will soon be extinguished."

Morgan brought out her palm, sending the dust directly towards Emma's heart. The darkness seemed to enguld Emma's brain and heart before dissolving, darkening Emma's eyes.

Morgan ran a hand along Emma's blonde hair. "There, my pet. Much better now. A suitable companion to the darkness. Now, Excalibur will be mine."

With that, Morgan disappeared, leaving Emma there, motionless, devoid of any feelings.

Moments later, Hook arrived at the corner by the clocktower and approached the woman.

"Emma, sorry. I'm late." Hook started, taking a deep breath. "Look, I've been trying to tell you this all day and...I just need to get it out. If I hold it in a moment longer, it feels like I'll burst."

He smiled down sincerely at her.

"Emma, I love you."

Emma stared back at him, coldly.

Chapter Eight - Dancing in the Dark

Morgan's powers over the darkness have corrupted Emma and Arthur, turning them into slaves to the darkness, leaving their family to scramble for a way to save them and reconcile their past, but when faced against the black fairy, that is easier said that done. In the Camelot of the past, Morgan forms an unlikely alliance in an attempt to assassinate Arthur and her fued with Merlin reaches a boiling point.

Just four chapters left!


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